Missing Days
by SnowFalls3
Summary: Plot takes place after "Drunk". Emma and Mary Margaret realize they had a little adventure before waking up. This story is an alternative universe in many ways, but I try to write the characters as they should be and create the atmosphere of the adventures as believable as I can. Reviews are always appreciated and welcome, so write a few words whenever you feel like it :) Cheers
1. Hazy

**So! This story takes place after the one I wrote in Drunk. I just though that was a full story and I wanted to start a new one, but this is linked to that.**

**Read that first or you won't understand a few things.**

**I warn you again - english isn't my first language. Prepare for grammar mistakes. **

**I hope you all enjoy it! :)**

* * *

**_If anything can go wrong, it will_**

A few hours passed but Mary Margaret didn't feel better. Her head still hurt, but she had no idea why. She was not the kind of girl who would drink the amount of drinks Emma told her she had had. It wasn't all a haze to her. She remembered a few things.

She remembered Emma sat on her bed, crying. She said something about Henry, but Mary Margaret wasn't sure what. Somehow she could remember seeing Leroy and Ruby too. Leroy widely smiling, Ruby in her red cape…

_No, wait, Ruby wasn't there. Or… was she?_

It was all blurry, but she at least _had_memories. So the drunk theory wasn't quite right after all.

_But then why on earth does my head hurt like someone's still hitting me with a hammer?_

She was digging deep in her memory in case she could remember anything else, meanwhile she tried also to concentrate on the lunch she was making for her and Emma. Suddenly the door opened and the person who entered the flat shut it with such force, it almost fell out of its place.

Mary Margaret looked up, surprised and rather shocked at Emma. She put down the pasta and closed her eyes for a second to calm herself. She managed not to drop it which was a small miracle.

"Why. Did you. Have to. Scare me. Like that?" She asked quietly as she opened her eyes.

"These people are driving me crazy! _I wasn't available_, blah blah blah… What the hell do they mean I wasn't available?! I cannot work at nights for God's sake! What do they expect me to do at two in the morning? What problem could they possibly have? What?!" She yelled directly at Mary Margaret.

Somehow the brunette had _déja__vu_. She was confused again.

"You might wanna slow down or start again because I don't follow." She said with a hidden smile. "What happened?"

"I have no idea!" She sighed desperately. "I went to the station and I had 32 messages. 32! So I called Archie, because he called more than ten times. He picked up and almost yelled at me, because I wasn't available for days." She looked at her friend with disbelief and repeated slowly. "_Wasn't - available_… For days! I told him he must have dialed the wrong number or I don't know, because I was working all week! He must have called last night too. I don't understand, where the hell does it say in my contract that I have to work at nights too? Unbelievable!"

Mary Margaret waited, and asked gently. "And what did he say?"

Emma threw her badge on the table and smashed her gun next to it. "That it wasn't night and I _wasn't available_." She looked in her flatmate's eyes with frustration and anger. "I swear to God if anyone ever tells me again that I _wasn't available_ I'll scream."

"Slow down, slow down!" Mary Margaret smiled. She would never have said it aloud but she had to admit it to herself - it was quite amusing watching Emma being so… Emma. "So, you two had a fight… I'm sorry, but I don't see why you are so upset. Is there anything else?" She stared at her with a searching look.

Emma gasped. "I had the same argument with Granny, Kathryn… and Regina." She gave Mary Margaret a look after saying the last name. "Yeah, that was quite the last straw."

Her friend looked at her reassuringly. She knew how the Mayor could be. "What did she do now?"

Emma shook her head. "I didn't give her an opportunity to do anything. As soon as she asked why I wasn't…" She took a deep breath. "… available, I told her to mind her own business and came home. What's with everyone today?"

Mary Margaret shook her head too. "I'm sure it's nothing. It must be… " She closed her eyes and stopped in the middle of her sentence because the pain in her head was so strong she couldn't think clearly. She grabbed the first thing she could reach – the pasta – and she felt herself collapse.

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_Huge thanks to **oldmcpiper** for being my beat! You are my english grammar... :D_


	2. Awakening

**_If anything just cannot go wrong, it will_**

The moment she reached the floor the pain was gone. She was lying there, she could hear Emma crying her name, could feel her warm touch on her skin, but she couldn't move an inch or open her eyes. She couldn't say a word.

It was like she was trapped in her own body. She was in there. But somehow she felt like she could feel everything like an outsider.

After a few minutes of shaking her, Emma started to cry. The brunette could feel the teardrops as they fell on her face. She could hear the other woman sobbing, still trying to wake her up, calling her name.

She could feel all of this. But she didn't really feel anything. It was like she heard a stranger crying for another stranger. She felt numb. She was motionless. But it wasn't peaceful. She saw weird dreams. Faces, familiar faces yet she felt like she didn't know them at all. Decisions she had made and regretted, even though she couldn't remember actually making them.

More minutes passed but the crying didn't stop. She could feel the other woman's face next to hers as she whispered. "Please, please… please don't leave me here…" She could feel the other hugging her as they lay on the ground." Pl-… I beg you… Come back… Ma-Mary Margaret…"

And the moment she heard her name they weren't strangers anymore. As the other pressed her cheeks next to hers, she knew the woman lying there with her was Emma. Emma. Sheriff. Flatmate. Friend. _Emma_.

There was an overwhelming wave of emotions and she could feel again. She felt everything at once.

Her eyes opened wide and she gasped. She grabbed something, she didn't even know what it was - Emma's arm.

Her shocked look met Emma's terrified eyes as they both froze for a second. It was a weird mixture of happiness and sadness. She felt scared, but strangely relieved as well.

When the moment passed Emma grabbed her shoulders and asked, still in shock. "Wha- What the hell… What just happened? Are y-… Okay? Mary Marg-… What?"

Mary Margaret tried to calm herself but shook her head. She had no idea what had just happened. The closest description she knew was _out-of-body experience._

The brunette slowly sat up and Emma helped her stagger to the couch. She didn't let her go, and they dropped onto it simultaneously, still hyperventilating.

They sat there quietly for a long time, trying to make sense of the past minutes.

"You… you were dead." Emma broke the silence, staring at nothing, deep in her thoughts. Mary Margaret looked at her and could see the incredulity on her face. "You weren't breathing. You had no pulse... I thought I'd lost you too…" She looked at her friend with wet eyes. "You collapsed just like Graham did… It scared the hell out of me."

She was over the first shock, but started shaking and crying as she understood the meaning of her words. Her eyes still wide open, she buried her face in Mary Margaret's shoulder as she hugged her.

Mary Margaret on the other hand was still petrified.

Not because she had almost certainly died a few minutes ago. Not because she still couldn't understand what had happened. She had finally put the pieces together.

She was petrified because she could remember. She remembered everything that had happened to them since the night Emma came home drunk.

It was a week ago.

* * *

It was dark, Emma was snoring quietly as Mary Margaret lay down next to her drunk friend. She fell asleep quickly, not bothering with getting her pyjamas or anything else. None of them realized someone else was also in their apartment. The dark figure moved fast. He took the two woman's hands, they were almost touching anyways. He placed them on each other and put a bigger object on them.

He smiled darkly as the two sleeping figures disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

The door opened soundlessly and the man stepped into the night of Storybrooke without anyone realizing he was there.

Without anyone noticing that two women have disappeared.


	3. Shelter

**_Smile... tomorrow will be worse_**

Mary Margaret opened her eyes with a strange feeling. Her bed was almost uncomfortable, her back hurt and she was incredibly tired. She didn't want to wake up, but she turned to her right to see what time it was. But instead of looking at her clock, she bumped into another body that was lying next to her on the grass.

_On the grass…_

Her eyes opened in shock and she stood up quicker than she should have. She felt dizzy and almost fell over Emma, who was asleep at her feet.

_What the-… Where am I?_

She looked around but could see nothing more than the huge pine trees surrounding them. The forest they were in was cold and deserted. Mary Margaret started trembling as the freezing wind ran through the woods.

Her desperate look turned back to the only thing that felt real in this situation. All other things could have been part of a very, _very_ weird dream, but she knew Emma laid there. She had to make sure if she was okay even if they were – _she was_ – dreaming.

"Emma… hey, Emma, can you hear me?" She shook her shoulders but the woman didn't move. "Emma… c'mon…" No response. She looked down at her friend and yelled once more. "Emma Swan! WAKE UP!"

Emma slightly opened her eyes but she still looked like she was asleep. Mary Margaret shook her a few more times and she finally started to wake up fully.

"What the- Why are you yelling at me? What happened…?" She yawned. When Mary Margaret didn't give her an answer she looked around and by her surprised look Mary Margaret could tell she wasn't asleep anymore. "Where the hell are we? How did we get here?" She got up quickly as well. Mary Margaret just gave her a puzzled look.

"I have absolutely no idea. I woke up next to you a few minutes ago…"

Emma looked around a few more times, just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Then looked back at her friend. She stared at her for seconds.

"Why aren't _you_ freaked out?" She asked finally with a tone that was rather harsh.

Mary Margaret wasn't sure why, but she didn't feel uncomfortable there. She'd been in the forest in Storybrooke before – which was nothing like this one – but she was lost and scared as hell back then. Now, she just felt like… it was natural. Like she belonged there, though she didn't understand how that could be possible. But instead of sharing her weird thoughts with the woman next to her, who was most likely having a panic attack, she just shook her head once again.

"I _am_. But… freaking out won't get us out of here. We have to do something, because I doubt we'll just magically reappear in our flat. And if we don't do anything, we will eventually freeze to death. So…" She looked at Emma, scared but somehow in control. "We better go find something other than pine trees."

"Yeah… I guess... I guess you're right. " Emma looked a bit surprised, but was very glad that in this absurd situation it wasn't her call to make decisions like this. " We should get going then…"

They both walked silently, though neither of them knew where they were going. It all looked the same, the trees, the plants, everything. Well, there wasn't really anything else _to be_ different_. _It was a big, dark and seemingly endless forest. They both could feel it, but neither of them said it aloud. They were both stressed enough but didn't want to scare the other more than they already were.

As the hours passed, they both became tired.

Emma was hungover and she still couldn't wrap her mind around they idea that they were outside Storybrooke. Mary Margaret couldn't either. They were kidnapped… somehow. In the middle of the night, someone took them and brought them… here. But, why? Why them, why here, why didn't they hear or see anything, why didn't they wake up earlier? There were countless questions but almost all of them remained unanswered.

After a walk that felt like forever, they found a cave. It wasn't big, but large enough for both of them to rest as the rain started to fall.

Sitting there, exhausted, Mary Margaret looked at her flatmate and had to smile a little. Emma looked so desperate to stay awake, but her eyes decided to close anyway. Mary Margaret could tell she felt more horrible than she looked. And that was saying something.

"You know…" Mary Margaret started slowly. She knew Emma would protest, but she was also sure she wouldn't accept 'no' for an answer. "This rain doesn't look like it will stop very soon. You should sleep a little, you look awful."

"No, I'm not sleeping here... " Emma started, but Mary Margaret raised her hand.

"It wasn't a request, you _have_ to sleep. Otherwise you won't be able to go any further when the rain stops."

"But-"

"No. I'll wake you up when it's time. Until then – sleep!" Emma looked at her with a disapproving look, so Mary Margaret added: "It was an order, young lady!"

"I'm sorry?" Emma started laughing after the last two words. Mary Margaret looked confused, she wasn't sure why she said that, but felt relieved when Emma finally gave up and laid down to sleep.

It wasn't very comfortable, but after a while they managed to sit – and in Emma's case half-lay – properly. She tried to lean on the solid rock, but it hurt her shoulders very much, so, a little unwillingly, she laid her head on Mary Margaret's shoulder, when she suggested it. It didn't bother either of them, but Emma felt uncomfortable, her friend could sense it. She smiled in her thoughts that Emma still needed space. After everything that had just happened, after everything they had been through. But also, it somehow disturbed Mary Margaret. She stubbornly wanted her friend to feel at least a _little more_ comfortable, so she pulled out her right arm and wrapped it around her friend.

"No, wait- "Emma started, but even she had to admit, that they both felt more relaxed like that. "... well, okay."

She fell asleep quickly. Mary Margaret watched as the cold water dripped from the edge of the cave. It had stopped raining but she did not wake Emma up. It was too peaceful and she needed rest. They both did.

She was listening to her friends quiet and even breathing and she couldn't help but feel happy.

_I mean, I know, it's crazy…_

As she was thinking this, another, small voice appeared in her head, saying:

_"I'm starting to re-evaluate my definition of crazy…"_

She had to smile. If Emma had difficulties adjusting to that situation, she couldn't imagine what is was like for her at this moment.

It's not like Mary Margaret wasn't confused or scared anymore. But she found this constant stillness inside her she never knew she had. She knew exactly what they had to do, even though she couldn't say it aloud or wrap her thoughts around it yet.

Deep in her thoughts, she didn't realize she had started tracing circles on Emma's shoulder. Her skin was cold, she only had a sleeveless, grey t-shirt on, which wasn't much out in the cold.

As her warm hand touched Emma's cold skin, something happened. It wasn't fast, she didn't even notice it first. Then, she started to feel dizzy and her head ached, like it was about to explode. Something was wrong. She couldn't say what. But she felt it.

And not a second passed before she closed her eyes, in pain, and could not open them again.

* * *

_Wow, I managed to write a long chapter, yay! I hope you like it :)_

_Many thanks to **oldmcpiper** (again) for being my beat! :D I seriously don't know what I'd do without your help ;)_


	4. A Blurry Memory

**_You will always find something in the last place you look._**

They walked silently, the light whisper of the wind between the enormous trees was the only sound that accompanied their footsteps.

Mary Margaret still felt unbalanced, though it had been a few hours since Emma woke her up. The pain in her head was still there and she felt like she didn't sleep at all. She felt like - during what she thought was sleep - she was awake inside her head, but could not do anything. When Emma had had enough sleep and opened her eyes, she shook Mary Margaret who finally could move again. Of course, she thought she was imagining this… but somewhere deep down she was grateful Emma woke her up. She wasn't sure she could have done it on her own.

They decided to continue their walk in the same direction that they were heading the day before.

The big pine trees were now surrounded by smaller plants and there were other trees among them as well. The change of environment reassured them that they were heading the right way.

Her hurting head did not make it easy for Mary Margaret to concentrate. She almost fell a few times or slipped in the mud. Emma caught her each time, though her worried look followed her friend every second. She could see something wasn't right.

"Are you… okay?" She finally brought herself to ask the question."You look like you haven't slept at all, though I could barely wake you up… What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Mary Margaret knew she could no longer deny it, when her eyes met Emma's worried look. "Well… I don't know. My head aches, that's all…" She massaged her forehead with her eyes closed, then added: "I didn't sleep well. My head is so… _full_."

Emma looked rather surprised and confused, so the brunette explained. "It's like…You know this feeling, when you read or study a lot. Like, for hours. And you feel like your head is about the explode, that there is too much information inside…" She closed her eyes again. "My head hurts like that since I fell asleep." When she realized how worried Emma had become, she said quickly "Hey, but don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing! It'll go away. I just need to go home. Both of us do." She pointed out and started walking again. Emma followed her, still not convinced her friend was okay, but she didn't want to push it.

Slowly, the dark forest started to brighten, and though it still was deserted and somehow _dead_, they sighed when they reached the edge of the forest.

The view though, surprised them.

A huge castle emerged in the middle of a lake with such grace it amazed them. The mountains around them were covered with snow. It was breath-taking. But somehow empty. There was no movement inside the castle, but it wasn't the reason why they felt that way. Like the magical place, this gorgeous fortress lacked what its heart was – magic.

"Oh, wow." Emma said with her eyes wide open. She didn't look at the woman next to her, but asked a rather rhetorical question. "Where _the hell_ are we?"

"It's so beautiful…" Mary Margaret started crying as a strangely familiar emotion rushed through her. She felt like the happiest person in the whole world, she sensed so much love inside her that was not possible to hold onto it all.

_Why does an old building have this kind of effect on me?_

But she knew it wasn't the castle that squeezed her heart. It was something related to this place, to this beach. She closed her eyes as she felt nonexistent, yet strong hands holding her, someone hugging her and a scent. A scent she had smelled before. Somehow David's face appeared in her mind, though she couldn't figure out why she'd think about him this moment. What did he and this place have in common? Nothing… _Or…_

_"… I never want it off your finger…"_

Another strange wave of emotions shook her and her eyes opened wide. Who said that? Who was it? How could she remember something she hadn't even heard before?

Without thinking she whispered the only thing she wanted to say, though she had no idea, why.

"What do you think…?"

Emma looked at her, surprised. "It's… nice, I guess. Though it's a bit too kitschy for me…" She noticed Mary Margaret's eyes were full of tears."Hey, what is it? What's wrong?"

Mary Margaret couldn't understand a thing that had just happened, she was shocked and confused and happy beyond imagination – again, she was clueless why -, but she smiled as she said: "I think someone proposed to me on this beach."


	5. Personality Switch

**First of all I'd like to thank you for your reviews, they really mean a lot to me!**

**I'm planing on continuing this story and in this chapter it does an interesting turn, which makes me want to write it even more. Hope you like reading it as much as I like writing it!:)**

**oldmcpiper, I can't say it enough - thanks so much for being my beta and helping me! Thanks to you I write even when I feel like I can't. Thanks!:)**

* * *

**_Just when you think things cannot get any worse, they will._**

It'd been a long day, she was exhausted and thought that she'd gone crazy, but Emma was sure there wasn't anything that could surprise her anymore. She thought it was simply not possible after what she'd been through these two days. Now, she had to admit to herself that this officially topped the crazy things on her list.

"Excuse me?" She asked laughing in disbelief. Mary Margaret _had_ to be joking.

"I-… I just have this feeling." She looked at Emma with a strange, yet happy expression. "I know, it's crazy, but... I think David proposed to me here… I seriously don't know why, it's like a blurry image in my head, or rather a… feeling or a scent… Hey! Don't look at me like that! Stop laughing, I'm telling the truth!" She looked strictly and nervously at her giggling friend.

"Oh, I'm sure you are… "Emma could barely say a few words. "You… David… Here... And he proposed… Yeah, it all makes sense now." She wiped a teardrop from her face that was rolling down it, because she was laughing too hard.

"_It all makes sense_?" Mary Margaret echoed her friend, still not sure whether she should be happy about the _something_ she just felt or angry because Emma most definitely thought she'd gone insane.

"Well… if you really are Snow White, then this is the place where your charming prince asked you to marry him…" She smiled and sighed with exhaustion. "How romantic…"

"Ha-ha, very funny…" She said quietly, though her smile faded away as she remembered a conversation. Slowly the blood froze inside her. Emma had been drunk, she surely didn't remember she'd told her friend strange things about Mary Margaret _really_ being a fairytale character _and_ her mother.

_Her mother._

Though Mary Margaret knew it was more than impossible, she toyed with the thought for a few seconds.

If it was true, then this woman, laughing in front of her was her daughter.

_Her daughter_.

She had always felt like a part of her was missing, but she thought when the time came and she found the one man she loved and their baby was born everything would fall into place. But now, when she imagined that she'd missed each and every moment of her daughter's life, every sad and happy moment of her existence, she felt like nothing would ever be okay. How could it be? She wasn't there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on, when she felt alone. She couldn't protect her, she couldn't help her, she wasn't there for her… She missed everything.

An overwhelming desire to hug Emma rushed through her when she realized it was her fault she suffered so much. She sent her away, it was her decision to put her in the wardrobe. She left her, she abandoned her, it was no one but her who caused her pain… And she hated herself for that…

_What the hell? It's all just a story! I'm not a fairytale character! God! I'm not her mother! I didn't put her anywhere and it wasn't my fault that she's been alone – it was her real parents'. _

But somehow Mary Margaret had the strangest feeling she was right. However, it was easier to deny it, because if she really believed that… That would mean she'd lost her best friend. Forever.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just…" Emma tried really hard not to laugh. "It's too absurd! Even in this situation… Mary Margaret, I'm sorry! Hey, look, I'm not laughing!" Emma realized her friend was somewhere else in her thoughts but she thought it was her reaction that had offended the brunette.

"No." Mary Margaret said with sadness but she smiled at her friend as she said: "It's okay, I just miss David, that's all. Forget I said anything! This place makes me nuts. Let's go take a look at that castle. I bet someone _is_ inside and will help us get home somehow… C'mon!" She went ahead not waiting for Emma's answer.

They marched for a long time, but remained silent. Emma thought Mary Margaret was still mad because she had started laughing, but her friend had simply become scared and confused – for the first time since they were there – and she was too afraid Emma might ask her something fairytale related. So she decided to not speak at all.

When they finally reached the gigantic castle, and went slowly through the stone bridge and the main entrance, they had to face the fact that they _were _really alone. Not a single person was there. Still, the two women walked through the corridors looking for someone – in vain.

"It's deserted… No one's here." Emma said, seemingly giving up hope when they reached the biggest room – probably a council chamber – and dropping herself on one of the wooden chairs. "It's hopeless. We are stuck here... Wherever _here_ is. There's no way we can go home..."

Mary Margaret felt the same way but she couldn't let herself say it aloud. That would mean there wasn't hope. But there had to be. She couldn't break down, not when her friend needed her. "No, there is, I'm sure! C'mon, we haven't searched through the whole castle yet! There are plenty of other rooms we haven't been in yet! Get up!"

She somehow managed to pull Emma up from the chair and they continued their walk through the fortress.

"It's pointless… I can feel it is… and I'm so tired…" Emma said with such exhaustion Mary Margaret could barely prevent herself from agreeing.

"No, it's not! But you're right… we need to rest first. We can look for help tomorrow." She looked at the blonde and knew it was the only way she could make her keep on going. "Alright, let's find a place where we can sleep properly this time. Then we'll continue tomorrow… It's getting dark anyway…"

Emma didn't say anything but Mary Margaret could tell her voice wasn't very convincing.

They went through several chambers, but none of them had a bed in them. Finally, they stepped into a rather large room. It was roundish and had a cradle int he middle of it. The room was destroyed like everything else in the castle, yet somehow the wooden bed survived. It was simple and there was nothing inside it. Though there was _something_ special about it.

As Mary Margaret stepped closer to it she felt dizzy again. Her head hurt more than ever, but she wanted to get closer to it. To touch it. To feel it.

Each step she took made her pain even worse and before she could reach it, she lost her balance. She fell on the cradle and hit her head.

The moment she touched the small, wooden bed Mary Margaret disappeared.

And at the same moment Snow White opened her eyes, in shock and saw a strange face looking down at her. The blonde woman's eyes were full of fear, and they seemed strangely familiar but she was certain of one thing:

She had never seen this woman before.


	6. Strange Acquaintances

**_In case of doubt, make it sound convincing_**

Snow had precisely two seconds to explore the blonde woman's scared face before everything went black again.

She couldn't feel anything, couldn't think, she was barely existing. It was nice though, peaceful.

Then, out of nowhere a voice, full of fear, interrupted this calm phase. It was loud and close, she could tell only so much. After a while she could hear words forming out of the cry. Snow wanted the woman to stop, she wanted to go back to the peaceful place of hers. But she also felt a need to help. Snow didn't know who this _Mary Margaret_ was, but the blonde was shouting her name with desperation, so she must have been important to her. And strangely Snow felt an unexpected connection with the crying woman. She wanted to help her find this Mary Margaret. She needed to help her, to do something. She needed to wake up. Wake up.

_Wake up!_

Snow gasped as she opened her eyes wide. Somehow she had _deja vu_.

The blonde woman's eyes were teary, red and now full of surprise. She probably was in shock because she couldn't move for a few seconds.

Snow gently peeled the blonde's fingers off her arm and sat up slowly. She was still hyperventilating, but she felt calm at the same time.

The blonde on the other hand was still petrified. She was barely breathing and her shocked expression stuck with Snow as the brunette looked around.

She knew this place, she lived here, it was her home… But when Snow realized almost the whole room was destroyed her memories came rushing through her and she remembered.

Regina, standing over Charming's body, Snow looking up, asking where they were going. _Somewhere horrible._

_I guess my step-mother's plan didn't work after all. I'm still here._

But she realized her prince was gone. So was her baby. And she was in a different room. With a strange, oddly dressed woman. Someone she'd never seen before. Who was still in shock.

_Well, maybe something _did_ happen._

"Are you… Are you okay? What happened?" The blonde asked, though she still seemed astonished.

Snow wasn't sure who the other woman might be, yet she felt like she could trust her. However, first she wanted to make sure she wasn't an enemy. "What do you mean?" She asked simply.

"What do I-… What do I mean?! I mean, why on earth did you just collapse? Did you hit your head? Let me see!" Now she seemed less horrified, but Snow wasn't sure it would be a good idea to let her treat a wound in her condition. However, she was no threat, Snow was sure about it now. "No, no, it's fine. I can take care of it." She simply grabbed a soft piece of dress from the floor and pushed it to the bleeding scar. "All better. Now. What do you mean I collapsed?" She looked around. "Where is James?... And who are _you_?" She asked the first questions that came to her mind. Suddenly her eyes widened. She wanted to grab hold of her hair, which she thought was long – yet she touched her short, pixie-like curls and with a terrified look on her face she asked the other: "What the hell happened to my hair?! Where did it all go?"

Emma was beyond scared and confused at this point so all she could do as an answer, was look stunned at the freaked out woman in front of her.

Snow slowly got used to the idea of having short hair and tried to stay calm, though it wasn't exactly easy.

_I loved my long hair._

The blonde stared at her for a few seconds, then asked. "How hard did you hit your head?"

Snow looked at the other with a puzzled look. "Not hard at all. I simply asked you questions and I would like to hear answers!"

_Why is it so hard to answer three easy questions?_

"You collapsed when you went close to _that thing_," The blonde said slowly, still in disbelief and pointed at the cradle. "I have no idea who James is and you are really starting to scare me, Mary Margaret! What do you mean, _who am I_?"

Mary Margaret? She called _her_ Mary Margaret? Snow became more and more confused. "Why do you call me that?" She looked at the other suspiciously. "I thought it was your friend you were crying for."

"What you just said, you know, hasn't got a lick of sense." The blonde looked seriously worried now. "I call you Mary Margaret because that is your _name_. And you know _who I am_! Seriously...? God! I'm Emma, remember? Flatmate, friend, partner in adventure? We came here together and we'll leave this place the same way!"

"Emma…?" Snow looked confused. She knew that name. She gave that name to her daughter. Strange coincidence. "Well, I suppose, I'm honored to meet you, Emma. Though you were wrong about me being familiar with you. I have no memories of knowing you. And you were also wrong about my name, it's not Mary Margaret. I'm Snow White."

Emma stared at the brunette with a horrified look. "No way… you must've hit your head very _very_ hard... it's worse than what I thought… You only remember the part Henry told you. Damn it!" She shook her head. She was talking more to herself than Snow. "It doesn't matter. I'll take you to Dr. Whale. He'll know what to do with your… problem."

"I cannot accept your offer,"She shook her head." I have to find the one person who could still be here, since I assume Regina sent everyone else away. Somewhere." She stood up. "Well, by all means, I shall go find him. If you decide to come with me, feel free to join me! But I'm leaving _now_." She said shortly and started walking towards the big, wooden door.

Emma got up quickly and asked: "Who is it?" Snow turned around before opening the door. "This man you were talking about – who is it?" Emma decided not to bother with recent events. Everything was just too confusing and she felt like she'd actually gone insane.

Snow smiled before she stepped outside and said: "My friend, who is also a prisoner here. His name… Merlin."

* * *

**Yay, in the next chapters we'll meet Merlin! I've been waiting for this ;D**

**oldmcpiper - thanksthanksthanks for betaing me!**


	7. Dungeon

**I decided to change the point of view for a few chapters - now we'll see things through Emma's eyes! It's really fun to see how confused she is, and now that Snow is in charge it'll get more and more interesting. :D**

* * *

_**Every problem is replaceable with a bigger one.**_

Mary Margaret was almost running through the castle's corridors and Emma tried to keep up with her. It was dark as the sun had set hours before, which made it hard for her to dodge the garbage on the floor. Mary Margaret looked like she knew exactly where she was going, her steps were fast and she seemed to have no problem with the wrecked corridors.

Emma on the other hand tripped a lot and fell over almost anything that got in her way. She couldn't care less, she was already beyond confused and thought she'd gone mad. In this state she could do few things, but following someone was one of them. Thinking – that was another thing. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff and if she started to think things through she would fall into a bottomless hole of doubt and insanity.

So she simply followed her friend, without freaking out inside that Mary Margaret was seriously sick. What else could explain her weird behavior? She surely had amnesia because of the hit on her head. She most definitely remembered only the stories she gave Henry. But Emma didn't dare to consider this phase as permanent.

_It has to be temporary, when we get home Dr. Whale will take a look at Mary Margaret and everything's gonna be just fine. She _will_ be okay. She has to._

But she stopped herself at this point. Too many questions were involved with these few thoughts. Not thinking seemed like an attractive option, so she decided to try doing so.

_One step at a time. Follow Mary Margaret and stop her if it's needed. Yeah. I can do that._

They went past the main entrance and marched through the big courtyard. Emma started to think they were leaving the castle, but the brunette suddenly made a turn and went down a stone staircase.

_Nice. Dungeon. Yeah, why not? We are seeking Merlin, aren't we? Sure, go down a creepy staircase that leads God knows where! You girl, are officially not sane, that's for sure._

These and similar _encouraging_ thoughts were crowded in her head but somehow it made it easier to just go ahead and follow the brunette who had already disappeared inside the stone walls.

She couldn't see anything, but somehow she managed to walk down to the bottom instead of rolling down the stairs. Emma felt relieved when there finally weren't any more stairs.

While she was forcing her way down, the other woman found a torch and somehow managed to set it on fire. Now in the light of the fire Emma could tell the other woman had changed in a way. Her face showed confidence and somehow… power. Like, she was totally in control of the situation. Mary Margaret, the Mary Margaret _she knew_ had never been like this, not once. Her insecurity was one of the things Emma liked about her, or rather like she wanted to protect her because of it. Now, that she couldn't find her friend in the other woman's eyes, a new kind of fear started to rise inside her. She was afraid. Scared, that maybe, _just_ maybe, she really had lost her best friend. Forever.

"From now on, I would like to ask you to do exactly as I say." The strange woman told Emma. She simply couldn't think of her as Mary Margaret anymore. She wasn't _her_. "Be quite and do not speak. This person is rather dangerous even if he seems harmless." She sighed. "I have to find them, James, the others… I suppose you came from where they were heading. So, we can get you home safely and in the meantime I'll find them." She nodded to herself as if she approved of her own plan then added: "This will be tricky. Stay calm and do not panic or talk to him under any circumstance!" Emma already felt stressed just from hearing her words.

_Where the hell are we going?!_

The brunette went ahead and Emma followed her. They walked for a few minutes in complete silence, then reached a larger part of the tunnel. Out of nowhere they heard a voice, warm and full of joy, yet threatening somehow.

"My, oh my. Look who decided to pay a visit to see little old me! Your highness!" A dark figure appeared in the cell on their left. "Always a pleasure!" He bowed.

Emma wasn't sure what she expected as person called "Merlin" to look like, but the boy in his mid-twenties was definitely not it. He was a lot like Henry, he smiled, his whole body was full of energy and brightness. Like, he was literally glowing.

_Yeah, because that's normal…_

The brunette dropped the torch – they didn't need it anymore since Merlin radiated more than enough light – and raised her hand. The man shook it, still smiling, yet when their hands parted his smirk faded away.

"Oh my, oh my, my…" He said seriously. "This is a problem. A big one."

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**oldmcpiper I know I say this everytime but a huge thanks goes for you! I really feel like I'm improving even though I still have a lot of mistakes. ;)**


	8. The Price

**_Every solution breeds new problems_**

Emma looked confused at the brunette and wasn't sure whether she should ask what had just happened or stay silent as she was told.

_The hell, I'm not gonna stand here and play stupid!_

But before she could say anything the other woman started speaking to her, her eyes still fixed on the young man. "He sees your path when he touches you. It's a gift."

"Some may call it a gift, others may call it a curse." Merlin's face became sad and pitiful as he spoke. "I'm sorry, my lady, I cannot help you with your problem. I'm afraid it only has one solution which is outside my purview. _I_ can't do anything."

The brunette narrowed her eyes. "Who can?"

Merlin laughed with sadness. "I see you haven't changed. It is _your blood_ that can help you. Not the way you seek it now, not the way you will find it later, but help will cross your path. Be patient."

She nodded though Emma couldn't understand a word he said. "Is there anything that you can give us to guide our way?" The brunette said slowly and carefully.

Merlin smiled. "Your way – that's another question. Light can come from many different forms, yet so can darkness. Without the other neither can exist, however they cannot exist at the same time." He touched her forehead and closed his eyes. "When the time comes, chose wisely! Don't let your fear of the dark or the blinding power of the light make you insecure. One half with the other." He opened his eyes and put his two hands together. "You _will_ need both. Also, this might come in handy." He gave her a small object but Emma couldn't see what it was.

Mary Margaret nodded again and now Emma seriously started to feel offended.

_What the hell is he talking about? And how could Mar-… this woman pretend to understand any of this?! Alright, that's it, I've had enough of this Merlin dude!_

"What the heck are you mumbling about? Just tell us how we can go home! Cut the garbage!"

Mary Margaret gave her a look that could easily kill someone and Merlin started laughing. "I can see the similarities…" He said simply. "You, princess will have to learn patience! The lady Snow White will need your help just as much as your friend Mary Margaret. Come here, let me see your way!"

Emma was surprised that this strange man knew her friend's name, so she simply walked closer and shook his strong hand. "Oh, yes. Just what I thought." He looked at her with a warm smile. "You will guide her," he pointed at Mary Margaret. "you will help her and make sure both of you go where you have to. When you cross the line all your fears will disappear."

He closed his eyes again. "Oh, I see who sent you here. He knew I'd be here. I'm stuck here, that's my curse." He laughed. "Tell him, she's fine. I'm sorry he couldn't come here himself, but I understand. Just tell him, tell him she's never been better. And don't worry, you'll remember this." Merlin let go of her hand, but Emma felt like he'd told her nothing at all.

Emma narrowed her eyes. "Wait a second. The things you just said. You advice. Does it _have to_ mean anything? I mean right now. Wouldn't that change the future?" She asked suspiciously.

Merlin's smile widened. "I can see the sparkle of magic inside you, princess! Indeed it would, so right now you don't have to know every detail. When the time comes however, my words may be quite useful." Emma nodded.

"Well, my ladies." Merlin sighed. "Time to pay. My services aren't for free. Both of you owe me. That is part of my _gift_ as your majesty put it."

Mary Margaret slowly nodded, but Emma was staggered. "What do you mean _pay_?"

Mary Margaret looked at her with sadness on her face. "I told you not to speak with him. If you get the help you needed, you have to pay. Whatever he desires."

"That's right, my lady! But since I gave both of you the answer you sought, both of you shall give me what I demand, isn't that right?"

Mary Margaret nodded again. "But I can give you two things, so Emma doesn't have to pay her share. Is that alright?"

"Oh, not remotely, your highness! Each person pays for themselves…"

Emma looked shocked and rather surprised that this new version of Mary Margaret would pay two, so that she didn't have to give anything at all. This reminded her of her old friend, which made her miss Mary Margaret even more.

"What _is_ my price, then?" The brunette asked strictly.

Merlin hissed. "Oh, your Highnesses, both of you shall pay me the same thing. Your memories."

* * *

**In the next chapter we say goodbye to Merlin. It's too bad, I liked his twisted mind.:D If you don't quite understood what he said that's okay, I save the explanation for later ;)**

**oldmcpiper - huge thanks for you once again!:)**


	9. Gifts

**_Anything that seems right, is putting you into a false sense of security._**

Emma sat silently by the fire watching as the flames fought each other. She had a lot on her mind, but she wasn't ready to face it yet. The cold wind blew a few times, but it didn't bother her, the red jacket kept her warm. The blaze danced wildly as she became more and more tired.

A day had passed since they paid a visit to Merlin, but his words still didn't make sense to her. He said both of them had to _give back everything they took_. When they were outside the castle she asked Mary Margaret whether she understood those words and she said: "We both will forget everything. When we arrive at your home we won't be able to remember anything that has happened to us here. Though I'm not sure what that would involve in my case. I lived my whole life in this land. So, I will forget everything…?" Then she remained silent for hours and Emma could see she was deep in her thoughts.

When they learned what they had to pay, both became uncomfortable with the situation, but there wasn't anything they could do. They agreed, they had to. Merlin's good mood returned and with a smirk he waved his hand. Emma's red jacket appeared in her hands and she gave him a puzzled look. He said she would need it later. She could feel her gun inside its pocket.

_Yeah that could come in handy._

Then he turned to Mary Margaret and did the same, only this time a huge green cape appeared out of nowhere. Mary Margaret laughed and recognized it as _her cloak_. Emma had never seen it before but she had to remind herself that Mary Margaret was delusional. Merlin nodded with a wide smile and said these were his _gifts_.

"Well, if you were in such a beneficial mood, why did you ask for a price in the first place? And why can't you just teleport us home?"

But all Emma got as an answer was a mysterious grin. "Goodbye your highness!" He said to Mary Margaret and bowed, then turned to Emma and did the same. "Goodbye, princess!" There was something in his voice that made Emma suspicious.

"Why do you call me that? I'm not a princess."

But Merlin just smiled. "Some things may be invisible to your eyes, but it's in your blood, princess. Just like magic." The suddenly he stopped glowing and darkness fell. It was time for the two women to go.

They went out of the castle, though Emma thought they didn't have a plan yet. When she mentioned this to Mary Margaret, she showed Emma what Merlin had given her earlier. The small object Emma had seen was a gold compass. "It was my father's." Mary Margaret explained. "It shows what your heart desires the most. You can find it by following the compass." Emma looked down at it, but the pointer was rotating and it wasn't pointing at anything fixed. She looked up at her friend – _she still is my friend, damn it_ – and thought that maybe it wasn't such a good idea if a mentally unstable person held the compass.

_Which works with magic. Because that makes sense. Yeah, whatever._

"Perhaps I should hold it…" She suggested to Mary Margaret. When she looked at her confused and rather suspiciously, Emma had to find a nicer explanation than _I think you are crazy_. "He said it was my job to guide you. Maybe he meant the compass. Maybe it works only for me, I know _where_ we want to go. You just know who you want to find…" She played along.

"Alright. But we should make camp here for tonight. Then we'll continue tomorrow… It's getting dark anyway…" The second she said that Emma had the strangest feeling – _déja vu_. She saw in her friend's eyes that for a moment she was unbalanced again. Like when she collapsed in the castle and hit her head. Emma started to panic. How hard had she hit her head? Would she pass out again? What if she couldn't wake her up this time?

However, the moment passed and the brunette continued unpacking her things like nothing happened. But Emma knew there was something seriously wrong with her.

"So, Mar-… um, Snow White." She started slowly not wanting to push too hard and do more damage in her. "What's the last thing you remember? I mean, before I woke you up. What happened before that?"

Mary Margaret looked up from where she was laying on her cape and wrinkled her forehead. "It's still a bit blurry. But Regina was there and so was Charming. I don't quite remember what happened. The last sharp moment I recall is…" She said as if she was thinking aloud but then cut off her sentence. Emma could feel she didn't want to talk about it, but maybe it was a sign that she _can_ remember who she really was. Emma had to try.

"I'm all ears." She dropped another log into the fire.


	10. Runaway

**Whoa, what did just happen? Yup, I changed the chapters title (because these quotes are too long) and decided that I will usefor each chapter a Murphy quote. My friend suggested it - unknowingly - when she read this story. She just mentioned that Murphy's laws are s oaccurate here - and that comment was all I needed. :D Thanks again for that! ;)**

**I hope you like 'em ;)  
**

* * *

**_If you think you are doing the right thing, chances are it will back-fire in your face._**

Mary Margaret sat up slowly and stared at the flames as she spoke. "It's strange… ever since I woke up and saw you, I've had the strangest feeling like we've met before." She looked at Emma. "I mean… I know it's crazy."

Emma felt relieved. So she _did_ remember something. She just couldn't place her yet.

_Well, a gentle nudge can't hurt, right?_

"Can you remember where we met?" But Mary Margaret shook her head.

"But the last clear memory I have is somehow connected with you." She turned her head back to the fire. "I remember when Geppetto said the wardrobe was ready. But Doc said it was too late. Charming was there, he helped me. Then that moment…" Tears formed in her eyes as she dug deep in her memory. "The happiest moment in my life. I held my baby, my little girl. She was so tiny and beautiful, I couldn't imagine how a miracle like her could exist…" The tears started streaming down her face as she continued. "But the happy moment passed when I realized something. Something terrifying. The wardrobe - it only took one. It was the hardest decision of my entire life, but I had to steel myself and tell Charming to take her to it. No matter what would happen to us, she had to have her best chance…" Her voice cracked at the last word.

Emma sat petrified opposite her. She was listening to the brunette and somehow found herself lost in the story. She could see how everything happened. She had read Henry's book, but the way the other woman spoke – she really believed she'd been there. That she had lived through it.

Emma shivered as she realized how badly she wanted to believe that it all was true. If Henry was right then Mary Margaret – the strange woman who was sitting in front of her – could really be her mother. She allowed herself a few moments of weakness and imagined it was really true.

Although she expected bitterness and sadness when she pictured the brunette being her birth mother, she felt something else entirely. Earlier, when she imagined what it would be like when she met her parent for the first time, it involved cursing their asses out. Big time. But when she looked at the strangely familiar face of her best friend, she knew she could never do something like that. She loved her too much already. As a friend, as a sister she didn't really know how exactly, but Emma had to admit that Mary Margaret was the first and only person she had opened herself up to. That constant and surprisingly strong bond between them now seemed to make sense.

When Emma pretended that Mary Margaret or Snow White – whatever she called herself – was her mother, she felt warm and happy beyond imagination. And also sad and abandoned, but she had gotten used to those feeling over the years. It surprised her how easily she could accept such nonsense.

_Yeah, because I'm not in a different world right now and didn't just talk to Merlin who didn't give us a magical compass to guide us home. Nah, that would be too absurd. _

As she cleared her throat and kept her own tears at bay, Emma looked back at the other woman. Snow stopped crying and gazed into the blaze again. Emma started quietly. "And what happened to her? Your kid?"

Snow looked up as if she had just realized someone else was there with her. A pale smile widened on her face. "She got away. I believe she is in your land now. However she is all alone, and unprotected…" She sighed. "That's why I have to find her. I will always find her."

Somehow, hearing these words Emma became jealous of this girl she didn't even know. Snow would do anything to protect her, to be with her.

"My little Emma…" Snow sighed again with longing.

Emma still felt that mixture of emotions inside, but now another unexpected wave of emotions tore through her whole being. She realized two things at once. First, now she wasn't thinking about the brunette as her flatmate anymore. She still could find traces of Mary Margaret inside the woman, but she was an entirely different person. And Emma realized she quite liked this person. Also, she immediately accepted her as Snow White. A fairytale character. Under normal circumstances she probably would have never even considered that such thing could be true. But in this situation it was easier to adjust to crazy things like that.

The other thing she understood was the fact that she and the girl Snow was talking about were the same person. However impossible that would be. She was the little girl Snow sent through the wardrobe. She wasn't abandoned – she was saved. Her parents loved her and that's why they sent her away.

And that was it. She couldn't handle the situation anymore. It was too much, too soon and too _freaking_ absurd for her. Tears rolled down her face and she wanted to run away – far, far away, back to the time she didn't know all this, when she was reasonably furious and blamed her parents for leaving her. All her life she was certain of those things. And now, she had to realize they weren't true. Her whole life was a lie. And she felt more alone than ever.

Emma didn't really think things through, she got up quickly and started running in the woods. The anger inside her now came to the surface and she was crying as she rushed through the forest. She could hear the other woman – she didn't dare to think about her at all – was shouting her name and Emma knew she had started following her, but she didn't care. All she knew was that she wanted to get away from all this madness and regain at least a little bit of sanity.

She didn't pay attention to where she was going and she didn't notice the white rabbit until the last second. It hopped in front of her, and she tried to dodge it in vain, but she lost her balance and fell into a tree.

But when she expected she would reach the ground, all Emma could feel was falling.

She was falling down into the rabbit's hole.


	11. Down The Rabbit Hole

**The only time you're right, is when it's about being wrong.**

Snow ran as fast as she could, but she soon had to accept that she'd lost the other woman's trail. The only thing she had picked up before racing along was her green cape that Merlin gave her. Deep in the dark forest, Snow stopped running and realized that she was lost. And what was worse – so was Emma.

She doubted Emma knew how to survive in a dangerous place like this, Snow'd seen that she couldn't even make a fire properly. Although the forest now seemed deserted, Snow's gut told her she wasn't alone there. And her gut was usually right.

_Great! Now we are both lost _and_ in danger! Damn it, Emma! You know how to make things worse than they already are…_

But somehow she felt guilty at the same time. Snow was lost in her thoughts when the blonde ran away, but she could see tears glistening in her eyes and Snow felt like it was her fault.

_I mean, I was talking, right? It must've been something I said… Well, maybe I shouldn't have told her about my little girl, given that she was abandoned too…_

She wrinkled her forehead. How did she know _that_? They hadn't talked much since Emma woke her up and, to tell the truth, Snow couldn't imagine the blonde opening up and talking about her feelings or past with anyone. Especially with a stranger.

She shook her head.

_I must've confused her with my child. They share the same name, maybe I imagined she had the same fate as my Emma…_

Snow stood up from the log she had dropped herself on a few minutes ago and made a decision. She had to go back to their camp. If Emma calmed down, she'd probably turn around and go straight back to it.

_I hope so, anyway…_

She started walking back with the weirdest feeling that she'd lost something precious.

* * *

When you've had the strangest days of your life and you are exhausted and you think that you've gone mad, a little switch inside your head flips. You're no longer freak out when you fall into a hole in the ground, fall through at least ten miles of space and land on the lurid green grass like you just fell out of your bed.

Emma Swan's life, during the 28 years she'd lived, was full of adventures and action and was anything but normal. But when this many impossible things happens to someone, they either go totally insane or they adjust to the situation.

And Emma, as she found out, could adjust.

But why on earth did she run? Now she regretted it and wanted to go back.

_Back - but _where_ was she?_

Before she even had the opportunity to look around, the white rabbit hopped next to her and – if it was even possible – surprised her. He started talking.

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you! Are you okay?" Emma looked at the fluffy animal and made a funny face.

_Okay. Talking wildlife. What else? Should I make a list or something…?_

"Can-you-hear-me?" The rabbit camecloser, talked louder and almost spelled every word. "Do-you-under-stand-what-I-am-say-ing?" His worried face suddenly changed into a bored one and he mumbled: "Jeez, do you even _speak_ English?"

"Um, yeah, I do." The animal jumped a little when Emma started talking. "It's just… you do, too."

"Well, of course I do!" He swept the dirt off his fur. "The question is – what were you doing back there and why on earth did you use my portal?"

Emma stared at the rabbit, then - without saying a word - got up and looked around. They were in a big, empty clearing. When she looked up to see where they'd fallen from all she could see was darkness. Emma looked back at the rabbit. "Ho-…" She pointed at the animal then back up at the sky. "Wha-…Whe-…"

"Hey, you said you can speak English, right?" The rabbit waited a second, then almost shouted. "So don't mumble here! Spit it out!"

Emma was taken aback, but forced herself to speak properly. She cleared her throat.

_Damn it, an animal just asked me to speak!_

"Well, okay! My name is Emma Swan, I'm from Storybrooke, Maine, I'm the sheriff there, but I got drunk, fell asleep then woke up back there…" She pointed up again. "… with my best friend, who is sick now or I don't know, maybe not, though she doesn't remember me and she could be my mother, but I just ran away from her and almost fell over you, but instead I fell into your _portal_ and I don't have the slightest idea where the _freaking hell_ I am right now!" She said this with one breath, then gasped.

_There. Now you're happy?_

The rabbit stared at her for a few moments – Emma could see the wheels in his head were spinning, he was processing the stream of information the woman had just dropped on him – then nodded. "Yep, that sounds like a perfectly reasonable explanation. C'mon!"

He started hopping but Emma stayed still. "You mean… you understood everything I just said? Do you have any idea what I was talking about?"

He stopped and looked back. "Of course not! That's why it's reasonable!" He rolled his eyes like he was talking to a four-year-old.

Emma laughed in disbelief. "Are you mad?"

"We're all mad here!" The rabbit turned back and started hopping again. "And don't say I stole that line! Cheshire Cat stole it from _me_!"


	12. Separated

**If you want something bad enough, chances are you won't get it.**

**Or sometimes, when you expect it ****the least** - you do.

Emma followed the rabbit in silence as they walked – and hopped – what seemed like an endless meadow. Now that she thought she was okay with the situation, she started to worry about her friend. _Or mother._ Did she follow her through the hole? No, then she'd be there with her and the rabbit. But Emma was sure she heard her screaming her name and running after her. _Damn it, why did I run?_ But she knew the answer – denial is easier than facing your fears.

_So, I have to find her first. I have to get back to her somehow. I'll deal with the rest later…_

"Um, hello? Mr. Rabbit? Or… white rabbit? Um... what's your name?" Emma asked, a little confused.

The animal didn't stop but said: "Jeez, I thought everyone knew me! You're not from here, are ya? I'm pretty famous, y'know! The Brave! The Radiant! I have many names, pick one..." He said this like the woman had offended him.

"Yeah, I know you, I mean, I read you sto-… never mind, I know who you are. But what's your _real_ name?" The rabbit gave her a puzzled look.

"What do ya mean, my real name? White Rabbit. That's what I'm called."

"Well, okay, but I'm not used to… well, talking animals and I could use something – _relatable_. Something, a name like Henry or David…"

The rabbit looked at Emma with a serious look and said: "Alright, I'll allow you to call me Lucas."

"Great... thanks." Emma felt like she was being told off, but still tried to stay calm. "So – Lucas. Could you please bring me back to the place we came here from? Can I use your portal one more time?"

"No can do – This portal only works in one way." He winked at her. "Up isn't down, not even here."

"Then, help me find another way back! I have to get back to my m-... friend."

Lucas stopped and thought about it for a few seconds. "Well, I use another one of my awesome holes to go _there_, but it's too small for you."

_Great, no human-sized portal, why would there be?_

"Wait, I might know one more!" The rabbit became excited. "You know who Jefferson is?" Emma shook her head. "The mad hatter?" He tried again and now she nodded. "He used his hat as a portal, though he's not here anymore… but I was thinkin'... Y'know, maybe he left something at his place that can help you. Like, another portal, or something to lead you to one."

Emma nodded again and finally thought that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

Snow stirred the ashes, the fire was long gone and dawn was breaking slowly. She hadn't slept a minute since she got back to their camp, she was too worried and her thoughts weren't leaving her alone.

_God, what if she's in trouble right now? I have to help her! I have to find her! But how…?_

Thanks to the fear inside her, she didn't feel tired. She wanted to do something so badly, yet the smartest move – she thought – was to stay put and wait for Emma.

_I'd wait a lifetime, but something tells me she's not coming back._

Finally, Snow had enough of sitting and doing nothing. She got up and picked up her cape and the thing Emma had left there.

It was a small, but heavy object, it fit in her hand, and had some kind of a trigger, but Snow didn't dare pulling it. Emma had only this strange weapon and her jacket, but she ran away wearing that.

Snow was about to leave when a small, shining object caught her attention.

It was her father's compass. She almost left it there.

Snow picked it up, though she knew it wouldn't help her. She couldn't use it, somehow it only worked for Emma.

Yet somehow, when she opened up the golden cover, the pointer was motionless and pointed at one, fixed direction.

_Emma._

* * *

"We're getting close!" Lucas shouted back as the powerful wind almost blew both of them back. As he told Emma not long ago, the meadow they were walking on was cursed, too.

"Like everything, that's left. Those of us who stayed here don't really know how we managed to do it." He explained earlier. "But it doesn't really matter, if you are stuck here, you became cursed too. She cursed everything and everyone."

They were heading to a very _very_ huge tree that stood at the edge of a _creepy_ forest, it was at least 40 meters tall. Emma couldn't stare at it for long - mostly because of the wind-storm, but also she had the feeling that they weren't supposed to go inside.

_Because it has a door at the bottom of it. Sure, this goes on my list, too..._

"We're almost there! Jeez, girl, could you be any slower?" The rabbit had already reached the wooden door, but Emma was still far away from it. She did everything she could, however the strong wind almost got her off her feet a few times.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Emma shouted back, but after she spoke she heard a loud and threatening roar behind her. She glanced back, and was able to take a look without losing her balance.

The storming wind, however suddenly stopped and she fell on her back. Emma could do nothing, every part of her body hurt and she had never felt more exhausted. She laid on the grass and stared up at the gigantic monster that was coming out of the edge of the forest.

She could barely hear Lucas' scream, the creature was roaring too loudly: "Run! Oh, dear, RUN! It's an ogre! Run for your life!" And he hopped inside the tree without looking back at the woman.

Emma didn't scream but she was scared as hell. She couldn't move - the fear inside her had paralyzed her whole body. One of the last things that came through her mind was a happy one - at least her friend was far away from here. She wasn't in danger. She would go back and take care of Henry.

_Henry._

Tears rolled down her face as she looked up.

_The hell! If I am to die here I'm not going down as a scared child!_

But before the monster could strike and put an end to her, Emma heard a strange noise.

Someone whistled. The blood was rushing too fast in her veins and she could barely understand the other's words. But she knew exactly who was shouting. And she wished she was wrong about it.

"BACK AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!"

* * *

_**Tell me what you think about it so far! I'd love to hear your opinions and thoughts! **_

_**Do you mind that I borrow some lines and/or scenes from the series? Like this last one? I want to use them in different circumstances, but if you guys think it's not such a good idea - tell me! Thanks in advance ;)**_

_**Your reviews are always more than welcome! :)**_

_**oldmcpiper - a huge thanks as always goes for you :)**_


	13. Old Friends

**Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate.**

_2 hours earlier_

Snow followed the golden compass. She wasn't sure how far away the other woman might be, but she knew one thing – she had to find her.

No matter the circumstances – the longing to kiss her husband or the burning desire to finally hold her daughter– she could focus on nothing else. Snow couldn't figure out why, she felt like a part of her family was in danger.

Well, given that they were about the same age, she could only be her sister or a more distant relative… yet in a way she felt closer to Emma than she had to anyone in a very long time.

She headed north quickly, not taking her eyes off the compass for a second.

When she thought she was going too far away from the camp, a quiet noise assailed her ear. She couldn't see anyone, but someone was indisputably there. Snow'd been on the run for a long time thanks to her step-mother, so she had learned how to read the signs.

She picked up a log from the ground, pretending to see if it'd be good to make a fire. But as she examined the wooden stick, Snow stepped closer to the bush she heard the sound coming from. When she was close enough, she moved around the plant and prepared to strike with her weapon.

"No, please, don't hurt me!" A scared female voice begged her, the black-haired woman huddled up on the ground to protect herself. Snow recognized that tone.

"Morgana…?" She looked astonished at her ex-friend.

The bright grey eyes peeked up with fear and she whispered. "Hello, Snow."

* * *

"So, this Jefferson dude…" Emma started as they were walking towards what seemed like a forest. It was still far away and she was kind of bored, since the rabbit didn't talk much. Emma on the other hand could've used some distraction. "… you said he wasn't here anymore. Where is he? He used his magical hat to pay a visit to good old Maine?"

Emma had the impression that she annoyed Lucas with her questions, but she had become annoyed with the animal as well.

_I mean, who does he think he is? The king of this freaking place, or what? He seemed okay at first, but he keeps getting on my last nerve with his attitude…_

"He was cursed too." He said simply. Like, it explained everything.

"Cursed?" Emma pushed a little more. She wanted to get some answers finally. Where were they? Who wanted them to be there and why? But most importantly – how the hell could they go home?

"Duh, girl, I thought you weren't this dull." Emma wanted to interrupt – and say something _very nice_ to him – but he raised his voice and continued. "He was taken to another world with most of the other people who lived here. The Queen's curse doesn't know borders, y'know…"

_The Queen… I've heard that before…_

"Regina…?" She was more thinking aloud than talking to the rabbit, but he nodded.

"She wanted to take away Snow White's happy ending…" He made a sound of frustration. "… yet she took everyone else's happiness as well. I mean – why did she have to do that? What did we, like, the rest of the worlds do to her to deserve this?! Outrageous!" He sniveled.

Emma walked in silence for a while, then asked. "So what's your happiness she took away?"

But the rabbit hopped quietly ahead and Emma understood that he didn't want to discuss it. She had her own thoughts in her head, so she left the topic alone.

She felt a light, but freezing breeze. She was glad Merlin had given her jacket back.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here?" Snow asked angrily and still unsure whether she should hit the woman or not.

_She has magic, for God's sake! I have to be careful with her…_

"I saw you walking through the forest and I thought…"

"You thought you could follow me and attack me when I expect it the least?" Snow was surprised how harsh she sounded. Like, she was not used to talking like this.

_Nonsense, I've spoken this way many times before… Not frequently, but when it was needed. Like now._

"No! Trust me, I mean no harm to you! I was hiding because I was afraid you might want to… well, you know." She nodded towards the stick and looking scared.

_She's nothing like the woman I remember… but perhaps it's all just an act._

"You were afraid? It was wise of you! After everything you did to us what else would you expect?" For a moment she became confused. Morgana gave her a questioning look, but did not dare to speak. "Why am I still on my feet? Why didn't you use magic on me yet?"

For a second, Morgana looked like she didn't fully understand what Snow was talking about.

"Because I don't have magic anymore. Regina's curse took away my powers." She looked up at Snow with a begging expression. "Please, my dear, you have to believe that I regretted every-„

Snow cut off her sentence. "You regretted _everything_? You feel _sorry_? You _killed_ your own brother! You used _magic_ against Charming! You _cursed_ your own true love! Why on earth would I believe that you regretted anything at all?" She looked deep in her grey eyes as she spoke. "I can see deep into your heart, Morgana. And it's cold. Cold as stone." Snow saw tears appearing in them, but continued. "I just wish I could've seen it earlier. Then maybe I coud've saved Arthur. And Merlin would've been able to help us defeat my step-mother without consequences!"

"No, please! I can explain! Let me explain!" Morgana cried.

"You have one minute. You can either talk and try to convince me or run. It's your choice." She raised the log in her hand. Although her words were strong Snow wasn't sure she would be able to hurt an unarmed woman. She just wanted this evil witch to disappear.

"It was magic!" Morgana shouted. "It all started with magic – with that deal I made with Rumplestiltskin! It made me different, darker, angrier… He warned me that all magic comes with a price but I didn't listen to him!" Morgana could barely speak, she was sobbing and her voice became weaker every second. "I was blinded by power and… I wasn't myself. You knew me, Snow! You know who I used to be! Ever since the curse took away what I thought was the most important thing in my life – magic – I can see clearly again!" Her voice cracked. "Please…"

Snow was frustrated, yet she had to admit what the raven-tressed woman said made sense. She knew Morgana long before she became a dark witch – and she was anything but evil back then. But it still wasn't enough for Snow to forgive her.

She was still suspicious, but dropped the log.

"And what were you doing here?"

"I heard word… Rumor has it that the savior has returned. That she's came back to save us." Morgana whispered through her tears. "I found a portal in Avalon and came here through it. I've been living in the forest ever since."

"The savior?" Snow asked in disbelief. "You mean my daughter?"

Morgana nodded.

"But the curse just struck..." Snow's anger rose again – she was lying. Her daughter was only one day or at the most one week old. How could she come back and save these people like that?

"You've always been a terrible liar, my dear Morgana." Snow said with disgust. "You've sunk deeper in your lies than I ever thought you would. I don't have anything else to say to you. Farewell." And she started walking away but the other called her name in despair.

"No, it's true! I've seen her!" She got up and followed Snow quickly. "She was with you! You two were in a cave and she was sleeping there with you! You have to believe me!"

But Snow didn't stop. She hadn't been in a cave in a long time now and she wouldn't have slept in one if it was the apocalypse. It reminded her too much of the time she'd spent running from Regina.

"Snow, please! She was right there, with you! She looked just like they said she would! Strong, blonde and… well, she had your chin, that's for sure… Snow! Please stop and listen to me!" Morgana tried to keep up with the brunette, but almost bumped into her when Snow suddenly stopped.

"What did you just say?" Snow narrowed her eyes. "Blonde?" Morgana nodded. "You know who she is? The woman who woke me up?" She nodded again. "How do you know her?"

A pale smile appeared on Morgana's face as she whispered. "Because _she is_ your daughter, Snow."

* * *

**_You reviews are always welcome, please share your thoughts with me!_**

**_oldmcpiper - you're the best beta ever, thanks so much!_**


	14. Realization

**History always repeats itself. But if you expect it to do so – it won't.**

"_Her_?" Snow's voice was full of doubt. "She's my age _and_ from another world. How could she be _her_?"

She continued walking. Morgana's lies started to annoy Snow, but she didn't seem to give up. "You don't remember, but 28 years have passed since Regina cursed us! You lived in another realm, far away from here!"

"You mean, when she cursed _us…_ with _your_ help." Snow gave her an angry look, but thought about what she said.

Morgana looked guilty. "Yes, about that… There are things that I need to tell you. Not everything happened as you think."

Snow looked at her, surprised and waited for an explanation. The raven-tressed woman looked sadder than she did before, and Snow caught herself feeling the need to comfort her. They used to be friends. She, Morgana, Arthur, Guinevere and Charming were almost like a family.

Then, Snow remembered, everything changed when Morgana's sister, Morgause - who was always the first to get into trouble – was murdered. Something inside Morgana changed, she made a deal with Rumplestiltskin. He wanted her sister's killers dead as well, so he showed the young and naïve girl how to use magic. In return all she needed to do was finish them off. But once she did that, there was no stopping. Her eyes got darker every day and Snow felt like she was slowly losing her friend. She and Charming were guests in Camelot, when one day, Morgana and Arthur had an argument – nobody knew what they were fighting about, but she left the castle right after that. She was just about to leave when she and Snow accidentally met. She looked more upset than ever.

"What is it? What happened?" Snow's worried look searched for traces of fear or sadness, but all she could see was anger and hate.

"I'm done with Arthur Pendragon! I'm sorry it had to come to this, my dear. Let's hope we won't meet again. Farewell!" And she stormed away. Snow was astonished and didn't try to stop her. She didn't understand a word and Arthur wouldn't tell her anything. They returned home but a year after they received terrible news – Arthur was killed by Morgana's hand. That was the last time Snow heard from her.

Now, when she looked in the bright grey eyes of her dear old friend, she couldn't imagine what magic had done to her so she could kill her own brother.

_Half-brother. Nevertheless, she loved him. Once._

"What are you talking about?" Snow cleared her throat as she dragged herself out of her memories. "What happened exactly?"

Morgana's eyes were wet again and Snow knew this was her old self. The one she talked so much with, the one she dressed up and went to balls with. Morgana le Fay - the Witch Morgana as she called herself – had never cry. Not once.

"I did not help her… Regina. At first I wanted to, I… I was angry at you." She stared at her feet. Snow didn't understand anything. She'd been angry at _her_? Morgana spoke quietly. "You weren't there for me when I needed you… I thought we were friends…"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Snow became angry and hurt as well. She hated few things, but abandoning friends and family was amongst them. "When did I ever let you down?"

Morgana finally looked up. "When I left after arguing with Arthur. I know, I was already going down the wrong path using magic and all, but you didn't stop me! You let me go, Snow! You didn't care, you just let me walk away! I was more alone than ever and I needed my friend! But you weren't there!" Morgana sobbed a few times, then continued. "And because of what I had become… I wanted revenge. I wanted to see you suffer the way I did. I wanted to see you alone and hurt. And… That is why I offered my help to Regina. But when I realized what a curse like that would do to me as well I told her to stop. However she was more powerful than I thought… more powerful than me. She cursed me, so I can never leave Avalon, my home, and she cast the curse without my help."

The thoughts inside Snow's head were chasing each other, but she still couldn't see clearly. "But… You said you came through a portal from Avalon… How could you do that if you were cursed?"

"I don't really know. All I know is that people whispered about the savior… then my magic mirror – the one I used many times before to go to your land – started working again. They said it was because she broke the curse. I knew that the savior was your daughter. I knew you'd be with her – well, I hoped so. I wanted to talk to you, to tell you how sorry I am, to… redeem myself. If that's even possible…"

Snow didn't know what she was supposed to say. If what she said was true, it was partly her fault that she became Morgana le Fay. Of course, it wasn't entirely her, and still she was the one who killed Arthur, but Snow was slowing mending and accepting Morgana's reasons.

"I am sorry, my dear…" She told Morgana. "… if you seek forgiveness, I cannot give you that. But I will say that I'm truly sorry for letting you go and not being there for you. But… instead of forgiveness, how about tolerance?"

Morgana forced herself to smile. "Well, that's a start."

Snow took a deep breath and understood another thing Morgana had told her. Happiness and an overpowering need to run where the compass pointed, suddenly took over her as she remembered the strangely familiar face. A pair of blueish-green eyes she'd seen before. How had she not seen it earlier? How was she not able to recognize her own daughter?

Because it was her, Snow was sure of it now. As soon as Morgana said those few words everything started to make sense. She most definitely didn't remember any of the time she lived under the curse – it was still a mystery, why -, but she believed, she _wanted_ to believe that it was true. Because that would mean her little girl got away safely, she grew up, she became a wonderful young woman and she was everything Snow'd hoped she would be.

However the happy moment turned bittersweet when she realized that she'd missed everything. All her hopes and dreams of raising Emma had been ripped away from her. She never got to be her mother, to take care of her, to teach her, _damn_ to even talk with her. And Emma had spent her whole life alone. Unprotected. Lost. _Alone._

Snow experienced a whole new kind of heartbreak. Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked at the compass and made a silent promise. No matter what, once she found her daughter, she would never let her go again.

* * *

**As always - reviews are appreciated! **

_**oldmcpiper - thank you for the advices and the help! :)**_


	15. Hidden Fears

**_Nothing is as simple as it might seem_**

Snow gently laid the blonde down on the grass and tried to make her as comfortable as she could.

"How is she? Is she going to be okay?" Morgana asked with concern in her voice.

"Yes… Her injuries are not so bad. It could have been worse…"

"She was lucky. If we had gotten here ten minutes later…"

"Let's not dwell on the past, shall we?" Snow looked back at the unconscious woman and very softly, being careful not to wake Emma up, swept the curls of hair out of her face.

When she saw her daughter lying on the ground, unarmed, facing a fully-grown ogre, Snow thought she'd never see her again in one piece. However, after the first shock she had forced herself to concentrate on the problem in front of her. Killing the beast. She shouted "_Back away from my daughter_!", but she was really thinking something like "_Not my daughter, you bitch_!", although she wasn't sure why.

Now, watching her sweet little girl lying in peace, still alive, without serious wounds, Snow thanked Merlin once again for giving her the compass. Without its help, they would've never found Emma. Not in time, not ever.

Snow wasn't sure what she'd feel when she saw her daughter for the first time. She was too eager to get to her, then too busy saving her life. Now Snow was beyond happy and sad at the same time, seeing her all grown up. She suddenly got upset and started sobbing. All those hidden concerns about missing her daughter's whole childhood now came to the surface. She dragged Emma onto her lap and hugged her tightly in her sleep. A silent fear slowly rose inside her. She had caused Emma so much pain, so much misery… Somehow she knew that, though it was possible that she had had a good life in that other world. But Snow doubted it.

She was afraid of what she'd do when she woke up. Would she hate her? Reject her, tell her to go to hell for abandoning her? Snow's heart broke into pieces as she imagined her daughter hating her.

But she let go of all these bitter thoughts now, while Emma was still unconscious, while Snow didn't have to answer her. She would be strong once she regained consciousness. Snow owed her that much. No matter how much Emma hurt her, Snow made a silent promise, that she'd let her. She could tell her anything, she would have to be strong enough not to break down. For Emma, for her little girl. For her hurt, abandoned child. She'd do anything for her. And now she'd have to.

Snow heard Morgana making a fire, but once she finished it, she sat beside them. For a while she waited quietly, but when Snow ran out of tears she asked her: "I know you're upset, because she almost died, but… It's not like this is the first time you've seen her… right?"

Snow laughed a little with sadness. "Actually it is… You mentioned that you saw us sleeping in a cave, didn't you? Well… I don't remember that. And even if I _remember_ when we were together earlier… I didn't know she was _her_. So, I guess… this is the second time I've held my daughter." She sobbed hysterically. "The first time was – what still feels like yesterday – when she was a little baby. It's insane! And believe me, I've seen a lot of supernatural things in my life… But this…"

"Oh, I see…" Morgana said, still surprised. "But you don't have to worry. She's safe. No harm can come to her from now on."

"Yes, I know, I know… But I'm scared." She added the last sentence so quietly Morgana could barely understand her.

"What do you mean? Why?" She searched her friend's face who was still gazing at the blonde.

"I'm terrified of what she'll say once she's awake." Snow was amazed that after at least one hour of crying she still had tears left. They rolled down her face as she whispered. "I abandoned her. And I know that. But what will I say when she shouts in my face and tells me how much she hates me?"

She couldn't say anything else, it was too painful to even think about it. Morgana put her hand on Snow's shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm sure she won't do that. You love her, she has to know that!" But Snow shook her head.

"But does that justify the fact that she had to grow up alone? She won't understand why we sent her away – I know I wouldn't!" Her voice broke again.

"You don't know that! She looks like a smart girl. I know she must feel confused and hurt, but she _will_ forgive you. You have to believe that she will!"

"I don't know… I feel like I already know her… Like, I know how much hatred she has towards her parents… towards me…" Snow wiped her tears away and put on a mask. A calm expression that would protect her from Emma's words and keep her strong enough to bear them.

_I'll get through it. For her._

* * *

She lay petrified on her friend's lap. She was too scared and paying too much attention to the conversation to move or to even let the others know she was awake.

_Mary Margaret is talking with a stranger... But wait, it's not Mary Margaret... Snow White?_

The memories came rushing to her and she almost gasped when she understood everything.

Emma forced herself not to burst into tears immediately. She became numb as she felt the other woman's salty tears on her face.

After all these years, she had finally found her mother. And she was more confused and angry than ever. All the hate she fostered towards her parents massed inside her. But she never expected something like this. The brunette's voice, the words she spoke... it broke Emma's heart. She wanted to run again. To hide. To cry.

The moment she had waited for her whole life came – and Emma was too scared to open her eyes.

_What the hell do I do now?_

* * *

_**Okay, I promise it won't take long now... Next chapter will be worth waiting for - I hope ;) **_

_**Tell me what you think so far!**_

_**oldmcpiper - as always, thank you! you help me more than you might think :)**_


	16. Reunited

**_You don't always get what you expect_**

Time went by fast, but Snow didn't seem to plan on letting Emma go from her tight hug. Emma however felt a little uncomfortable, they'd been embracing each other for quite a long time now and she wished the brunette had had enough of her for at least a while . _No, she probably hadn't. _She had to smile a little. It was a nice feeling.

A few hours earlier, after pretending that she was unconscious she had fallen asleep. There was too much on her mind and it was easier to just run away in her sleep. However she didn't get much of it, after two hours of resting Emma had woken up. She saw that the brunette had fallen asleep in the meantime, which made her relieved. She didn't have to face her right away. But somehow she had the strangest feeling that she didn't want to run from her anymore. It surprised her so much that she stayed where she was when she woke up, right next to her mother.

_My Mom. Wow. It will take time to get used to this. _

She waited in silence for the other woman to wake up. She slowly thought things through and the short sleep helped her clear her head, too. Earlier she had been upset. Angry and hurt. Even a little furious when she understood that this woman abandoned her, made her whole life miserable. However sitting there, watching the sleeping brunette, she realized that the hate inside her slowly started to disappear. Emma put herself in Snow's position, imagined what she would have done in her place and she realized that she already had - her mother did the same thing Emma had done with Henry. They both tried to gave their child their best chance. Even if that mean losing them.

Emma knew she was reasonably angry at her parents, but she always imagined them as faceless, dark figures. Two shadows whom she could think with hatred. But Mary Margaret didn't fit that image. Neither did Snow...

The anger Emma had inside her slowly started transforming into a weird feeling she had never thought she would feel. A need to be loved. Emma became scared, because she never really allowed herself to feel that way. She'd always been alone and put walls around her. It was easier and she survived with them. Sass and sarcasm, those things helped her cover how unprotected she really was.

But looking at the face of her best friend, who was troubled even in her sleep, she faced the facts. Mary Margaret was the one person who had always been there for her since she arrived in Storybrooke. The one Emma had felt the need to protect, whom she had never wanted to hurt or to see get hurt, the one she had _loved_… Emma had to realize she couldn't tell her off even if she wanted to. Even if Emma had a horrible childhood because of her decision. She had to admit that it was still better than living under a curse. Emma couldn't blame her mother for saving her, she couldn't cause her pain for that.

Emma was sitting deep in her thoughts when someone tapped on her shoulder a few times. She turned around, surprised.

The raven-tressed woman put her index finger to her lips, pointed at the brunette, then made a gesture that Emma translated as a suggestion to go further from her sleeping friend.

She followed the woman, though she wasn't sure she should trust her. There was something about her that made Emma cautious. However, Snow seemed to trust her.

_Anyway, I'm not taking chances. As soon as she tries to do something tricky…_

She wanted to touch her gun, but to her surprise it was missing. Emma gave the other woman a questioning look and she seemed to understand what the blonde was looking for.

"Don't worry, your weapon - though I'm not sure what it is _exactly_ - is safe with Snow." She looked confused at Emma. "You don't remember that she used it?"

Emma's eyes widened as she imagined Mary Margaret, a kind school teacher holding a gun. As much as she knew about Snow White's tale, she couldn't imagine her as a warrior princess either.

"I'm sorry… who are you?"

"I'm Morgana le F-… Morgana is fine." Emma narrowed her eyes. She had heard that name before.

"Le Fay? Aren't you an evil witch from the Arthurian legends?" She asked her, but Morgana didn't understand a word, so Emma changed the subject. "Anyway… What do you mean she used it? She knows _how to_ use it?"

Morgana nodded. "It surprised me, too. When we found you with the ogre, after he knocked you out, Snow pointed it at him and..." Morgana looked confused. "… boom! I don't know how that little object could contain so much power. It must be magic…"

"Yeah, something like that." Emma found it slightly funny that a sorceress was taken aback by a gun. "Have you seen that cowardly rabbit that hopped into the tree and left me on my own?"

Morgana shook her head. "We tried to go inside, but we couldn't open the door. It must work with magic…"

"When you don't understand something, you just blame it on magic, don't you?" She laughed. "Whatever, I'm not interested in seeing him again."

"Seeing who?" A familiar voice asked behind her. Emma's blood pressure jumped sky-high as she turned around and faced her mother. "It's good to see you in one piece." Snow added as she stepped closer.

"Yeah…" Emma could barely speak. Somehow while she was asleep it was easier to imagine this conversation. Now she had no idea what to say. "I hear you saved me. Thanks… I… I didn't have my gun, so…" She pointed at the weapon in Snow's belt.

"Yes, you left this at our camp…" Snow said quietly and gave it back to Emma. "... when you stormed away without an explanation..."

"Yeah, thanks..."

They both were very careful not to say something upsetting. It was like they both were scared that a sudden spark would set the other on fire. From the corner of her eye Emma saw Morgana smiling and gave her a disapproving look.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… pretend I'm not here… Or, you know what? I'll go get some food. Whistle when you are… done."

And she stepped into the forest leaving the two women alone, who still couldn't find the words to say.

"Look…" Snow started. Emma felt relieved that it wasn't her turn to speak first. "I still don't remember, but Morgana told me I lived under the curse for quite a while… Until you broke it and brought us back here."

But Emma had to shake her head. "I didn't break it. I mean… I'm still not sure it exists. But I didn't break anything. I was drunk and when I woke up we were here. I don't have the slightest idea of how we got here."

Snow wrinkled her forehead. "This just begs more questions, but now…" She smiled for a second, then it disappeared. "… right now I don't want any more questions. What I need is to talk to you."

"I guess I know what you want to say." Emma said quickly. She wasn't ready for a long monologue. "I kinda figured out since I've read Henry's bo-... nevermind. What I'm trying to say is... I know that we… that we are… _family_." She finally spit it out through her teeth. Though Emma stared at the ground and couldn't bring herself to say anything more, Snow seemed to relax.

She spoke quietly, but Emma could see that she means every word. "I know you must hate me and wish that… well, I don't exactly know what you'd wish for Emma. But… You need to know that... We sent you away so you could be safe. I know it doesn't justify what I did, but I need you to know that we didn't do it because we didn't want you… it was because we loved you… we still love you. _I_ still love you." Her gaze was fixed on Emma, whose eyes now found hers and she wanted to say something, but Snow raised her hand. She tried to hide it, but Emma could feel the bitterness and fear in her voice. "No, wait, you need to hear this. After you can say everything you want… I will understand, I won't defend myself. I know how much pain we caused you…"

At this point her voice cracked and she couldn't say another word. Emma however felt warm, overwhelming happiness spreading inside her after hearing Snow's words. All the scars inside her now hurt and burned more than ever, but somhow they seemed to start healing.

Seeing how vulnerable and afraid her mother became - even if she tried to cover it -, she could only think about one thing. Emma took a big leap of faith and made an unconcious decision. She opened up her wall a tiny bit. She had never done anything like this before but she trusted Snow. She _wanted_ to be able to trust her.

Emma rushed to her and wrapped her in a tight hug. Snow's bittersweet feeling spread over her too, and they both started sobbing and held each other so close that Emma was afraid she would strangle Snow. Tears of joy, happiness, hurt and comfort mixed.

"So you don't hate me?" Snow's weak voice asked Emma after a while what felt like forever.

A smile what was both sad and happy widened on Emma's face and squeezed the other woman even more. "I could never hate _you_."

* * *

_**Phew, this took longer to write than I expected. I've rewritten it 3 times, because I wanted it to be as good as it can be. And I know it might seem a little out of character that Emma forgive Snow and made piece with the situation quickly. But this is how I needed them to react. I just love their relationship so much that I couldn't make them argue or run away again. But don't think that Emma's walls just magically disappeared. She'll hide behind them again for a while. I'm trying to follow the show's emotional storyline - since that is the source of inspiration for me - so I suppose you'll see a few 'mama Snow saving her daughter' moments in the future ;)**_

_**oldmcpiper, as always your help is very much needed and, you know, thanks again for that =)  
**_


	17. Open!

**When you think everything is going well, you probably overlooked something**

"So, what do we do now?" Morgana asked after Emma had broken up the hug and Snow called for the raven-tressed woman. She returned with a lot of berries but she couldn't find anything else edible.

"We still have to go inside." Emma pointed at the door at the bottom of the gigantic tree and threw a berry in her mouth. "Lucas, you know the white rabbit you saw earlier… he told me that it's the Mad Hatter's place and we can find a way back to Storybrooke here."

"But we tried to go inside, it's not possible." It was written on Morgana's – and Snow's – face that she had no idea what Storybrooke might be, but neither of them asked about it. "I've already told you, we need magic to open it! And I've been to the Mad Hatter's, I know what it looks like and this isn't it."

"Well, isn't that great… and I didn't know you guys were experts on the Hatter's whereabouts… " Emma complained, but Snow didn't understand the plural.

_Did I say something or...?_

However she didn't mention it, just started examining the wooden door. "But there must be a catch to open it without magic. How did the rabbit go inside, Emma?"

"God, I have no idea! I was trying, you know, not to get killed by a huge monster. But next time I'll pay more attention, I promise." Snow gave her a puzzled look. Not long ago she was so open, so different, but now she was being sassy again. It was such a sudden turn Snow could barely follow. She had a feeling that she couldn't place, like she'd already seen her doing that.

"Anyway…" Morgana broke the awkward silence. "… if there's a way, we have to find it! Fast!"

But as soon as she said those words the wind blew just as strongly as Snow remembered it had blown last time. She looked at Morgana, with an idea on her mind. "You had magic once! You were a powerful sorceress! Aren't there remaining traces of it inside you? Can you try to summon them?"

Morgana looked confused, scared and she shook her head, but Snow shouted at her – since they could barely hear each other anyway. "Well, try at least, damn it!"

Snow was angry – at this whole situation, at being separated from her husband, at Emma for being so distant again and at Morgana for not understanding how much was at stake here. She wasn't afraid of getting hurt – she was terrified of the thought of something happening to her daughter. A new sort of bravery awoke inside her as she understood that she'd do anything to protect Emma.

"Try!" She shouted at Morgana again and watched as the raven-tressed woman went to the door and closed her eyes. It couldn't be easy to concentrate in a storm, however when she touched the steel handle and forced it to open, she managed to pull it a little. Unfortunately it snapped back to its place with a loud noise and Morgana gave Snow a desperate look. Snow became scared as well – the ogres could hear this noise even if they were far away. "Keep on trying!" And she ran towards Emma with her arm held out. "The gun. Give me the gun!"

"What?! No!" Emma's eyes widened and she took a step back. "Why would you need my gun? _I_ know how to use it!" She pulled out her weapon but did not give it to the brunette. "It can be dangerous in the wrong hands, I'm not giving it to you! You don't even know what it is!"

"Yes, I do!" Snow shouted. "And this is not an argument!" She reached out and took the weapon out of Emma's hand. "I'm not letting you anywhere near that beast! Go and help Morgana open the door!" Snow saw that Emma was shocked, or just simply speechless, so Snow shook her shoulders and looked deep in her eyes. "I want you safe. GO!" And she pushed Emma towards the tree.

Snow didn't dare look back, but she pointed the gun at the forest and prepared herself to shoot at anything that came out of it.

* * *

Emma floundered towards Morgana, still astonished. She didn't fully understand the brunette's words, but she knew what she meant by them. And it made her freeze. She didn't dare think much – it would have meant she grasped everything, but she wasn't capable of doing so yet.

She simply watched the raven-tressed woman trying to open the wooden door without success and wasn't sure what she was supposed to do.

The wind's force grew with each passing second. The sound of the rumbling leaves and the whistling breeze now mixed with the terrifyingly familiar tone of the ogre's roar. Emma turned around, horrified, when she heard gunshots from behind.

At this moment several things happened at once.

Emma saw the gigantic monster stepping out of the edge of the forest, and Snow starting to shoot at it; she felt the storm-wind stopping and heard a very loud _snap!_ from the door. She turned again and saw Morgana almost opening the door, but it struck back and Morgana flew back at least ten meters in the air. The only thing Emma could compare this grotesque moment to was when someone gets a shock from electricity.

She gasped and tried to get her priorities in order.

_What do I do first? What do I do first? What the hell do I _do_?_

But when she heard Snow yelling "RUN!" back at them, the black smoke of fear inside her head cleared away. She ran towards Morgana, dragged her all the way to the wooden door and grabbed the handle. She closed her eyes and focused all of her concentration on opening the door. Getting them to safety. Saving them.

_Open!_

And to her surprise the door swung open and she stood there like a ten-year-old who'd just seen an airplane lifting off, still carrying the unconscious Morgana.

After the first shock Emma dragged the woman into the bizarre entrance room of the tree and turned back. Chills ran down her spine as she saw her mother getting knocked out by the ogre. She didn't think. She acted on her instinct.

"Hey! Hey you, ugly!" Emma shouted as loud as she could at the creature. "Hey! Leave her alone!"

But her bravery last only so long, because when the monster started marching towards her, the blood inside her froze. Though she didn't regret distracting the ogre, Emma was afraid it was in vain. After it took care of her, it would go back and finish Snow off.

_Maybe if she stays silent, it won't._

But hope was all she had left when the huge _and really ugly_ creature rose above her.

_Nice, twice in one day. So much for my good luck…_

* * *

Snow opened her eyes, she couldn't place where she was. She overslept? But today she had school, Henry and her class would wait for her to…

_Wait a second… School? Henry? Who's Henry?_

Her head burned like hell, but she still wasn't sure what was real and what was part of her dream. She remembered a blonde girl… She was so familiar, yet so different…

The pain was almost unbearable, but finally the memories fell into place and Snow gasped with fear.

_Emma! Oh my God, Emma!_

She got up quickly and saw that the ogre that knocked her out a few moments ago was now cornering Emma. _Her Emma._

_Oh, no you don't, you little…_

Snow looked around quickly and found the weapon. She shouted something like "Show me your ugly face!", but she didn't pay attention to what she was saying. As soon as the monster turned to face where the sound came from Snow pointed the gun at his right eye and took her shot with more accuracy than ever before.

She was still in shock, so all she could understand was the ear-splitting noise of the ogre collapsing and the silence that fell after it.

_I did it… She's safe… I…_

As soon as the adrenalin cleared from her veins, Snow felt like her whole body was hurting. Each part separately. It was too much.

She could see neither Emma, nor Morgana, but now she knew they were safe.

And with that Snow let herself lose control over her body and dropped on the ground.

* * *

**_oldmcpiper, I don't care how many times I say it - thanks a lot! :)) you really deserve it =)_**

**_This time I tried to show the story from different POV's and I think it turned out pretty good. _**

**_Reviews are always welcome ;)_**


	18. Being Used

**If you see someone approaching you with the obvious intention of doing you good, **

**you better run for your life.**

Emma closed the door behind them after she dragged the unconscious brunette next to Morgana. She dropped herself next to them on the wooden floor and felt more lost than she'd been since this whole madness started. Everyone had gotten knocked out except her, but she had no idea what she was supposed to do next.

_Great, I'm the boss now… Just what I was asking for... Well, at least we're ____minus_ one ogre…

She could still not fully understand how Snow risked her own life to save theirs. _Hers_. But it was more than that. The brunette did not let her anywhere near harm's way. She didn't even take a chance. It surprised Emma beyond anything, she was used to people using her as a shield when in trouble. She was the one to protect others, to hide them from getting hurt – and again, this woman managed to surprise her. This kind of unconditional love was a brand new thing for Emma, but she kind of liked it.

_Yeah, well, there's no way I'm letting her take my gun again._

Emma felt a bit like her mother was overprotective, or worse. Maybe she thought Emma was helpless here and couldn't take care of herself. But it wasn't like Emma had never used a gun. She was a pretty good shot. She could have handled the situation…

And on top of that she had to admit to herself, that she was afraid the brunette would get hurt.

Sitting there, she felt exhausted, but knew she couldn't fall asleep, not while she was the only one awake.

Fighting the urge to yawn, Emma got up and looked around. This place was just a bit bizarre which - considering the situation - was quite comforting. They were in a smaller entrance room, everything was brown, made of wood - the walls, the floor, even the lonely lamp that shed a bit of light on the dark place. There was only one door and Emma suspected it'd lead to the rabbit. She needed information (where were they, how could they get home, _just the usual_), so she decided to go inside and question Lucas. It was her best idea so far, babysitting the unconscious women wouldn't help them find a way home.

She carefully opened the door, which was also wooden and stepped into a room that was pretty much like a library. It was considerably big and books covered almost every inch of the ground. Emma stepped inside and pondered whether she should call for the animal or stay silent. She dodged a few gigantic pillar made of books and made it through to the middle of the room. She was just about to shout his name, when someone behind her spoke.

"Man, you made it! I see you're still kickin'."

Emma turned and with a furious expression she told Lucas off. "Where the hell were you? You left me there all alone with that monster! It could have killed me!"

But not even her harsh tone could wipe his arrogant smirk off. "If it was necessary, I would've saved you from that beauty, of course. But, I knew your friends were coming and I didn't wanna.. y'know, ruin the moment."

Emma rushed to him – knocking a few piles of books down – and grabbed his long, white, fluffy ear. Lucas yelled in pain. "Hey! HEY! Let me go! 'R you crazy, woman?" Emma held him still and spoke quietly, but menacingly.

"Okay, rabbit. I'll tell you a little secret. I can tell when people are lying to me, I'm pretty good at it. And you mister, are! You didn't want to help me, you were simply too scared and hopped inside this safe place and left me there for lunch! You're a coward prat!"

"'K, 'k, you're right! I chickened out! Now LET ME GO!" Lucas shouted so loudly that Emma glanced back. Perhaps it woke the two other women up.

_Nope, I'm not that lucky. I'm deaf thanks to mister brave hero here and they're napping like there's nothing to do…_

She let go of the rabbit who massaged his hurt ear. "You are totally insane! You could've-…"

"Hurt you? Oh, I'm sorry, it must be the effect of the shock. You know, what that gigantic monster caused!" She yelled at him angrily and dropped herself into one of the armchairs. "We're even now. But. I still need a way back to my land. You said this was the Mad Hatter's place, but a little bird told me you're lying." Her eyes widened. "Oh, what a surprise!"

Lucas seemed to realize that he couldn't get out of this with lies, so he sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine! It's my place. You happy?" Emma's surprised expression offended the animal. "Hey! I love reading! Movin' on!" She nodded, still amused. "But I wasn't _entirely_ lying. I might have a way to get you where you want to go. But I can't use it like this. For that, I'll need your help."

Emma's smile disappeared and she tired to catch the ulterior motive in his words. She narrowed her eyes as she spoke. "What exactly do you need from us?"

Lucas shook his head. "No, just from _you_." He pointed at Emma. "First I need you to answer a question."

"What question?" The blonde asked suspiciously.

"It was you?" Lucas asked simply, but the other's blank expression assured him that it needed further explanation. "Did you open the door? You got the three of you inside, didn't you?"

Emma nodded and a big smile widened on Lucas' face. "Great! That's an excellent start, hon! There's only one other thing you need to do and your part is done!" He added quickly before the blonde could complain about being called _hon_.

"And what is that?" Emma's tone was rather annoyed. She kind of had the feeling that the animal had no idea how to get them anywhere. She had met a lot of people like him back in her world. Small, powerless, unimportant people who needed to feel wanted. They wanted to be the center of attention, yet they had nothing to get there. Lucas was just like them.

"I'll tell ya!" He grabbed Emma's hand and placed it on his head. "Do exactly as I say! Close your eyes." Emma still seemed incredulous, but Lucas insisted. "Do it! You wanna go home, or what?" She obeyed, but suppressed a smile. This was meaningless, but somehow the rabbit's seriousness amused her.

Lucas continued. "Now, I want you to clear everything from your head, and concentrate on one thing! First, clear it!" Emma wrinkled her forehead and tried to do so. It wasn't easy, though. So many things had happened to her lately, her head felt like it was going to explode. When she finally got it, she nodded.

"'Right, and the last thing – concentrate on the words _Transform back!_." Emma wanted to open her eyes, but the rabbit shouted at her. "Just do it! Keep your end of the bargain and I'll get you home, damn it!" So she concentrated.

_Transform back!_

_What the hell is supposed to happen?_

_Transform back!_

_We can do this all day…_

_Transform back!_

But when she wanted to look up and tell Lucas how meaningless this whole ritual was, a bright flash of light blinded her for a second. Emma waited a few moments with her eyes closed to adjust, then opened them.

And she couldn't believe what she saw.

* * *

_**You won't have to wait long to see how it goes on... more trouble ahead, I can tell you this much ;)**_

_**As it turns out I don't really have free time lately, but I'll try to write as much as I can the evenings. I started my driving lessons and my french language exam is coming up soon, so I have a lot of work to do. But I'll do my best to update this story asap, I still have tons of ideas left! Thanks to everyone who reads it :)**_

_**Reviews are appreciated! oldmcpiper, thanksthanksthanks once again!:D**_


	19. Follow The Rabbit

**The solution to the problem changes the problem.**

A sand-blonde, tall, young, handsome – and naked - guy stood in front of her with the widest smile she'd ever seen.

"Woohoo! Man! That was ah-mazing!" He tried to step closer to Emma, but all he managed to do was a weird half hop- half walk. "Dude! I'll have to get used to this!" He looked at his feet then back at Emma.

The blonde stared with her mouth open and could not believe her eyes. She didn't even blink, her arm was still stretched out, motionless.

"Wha-… How-…"

Lucas gave her a disapproving look. "I thought I already told you to stop mumbling! Com'ere!" His smile returned and he wanted to hug Emma, but this action – fortunately – made her snap out of the trance and back away.

"Hey, hey, rabbit guy, stop!" She looked up at the ceiling. "At least put some clothes on, for crying out loud!"

Lucas laughed loudly. "You just saw me turn from an animal to man and all you care about are clothes? Very well, be back in a sec." He rushed towards a wooden staircase and disappeared at the top of it.

_What the freaking hell just happened?_

Emma tried to think clearly, but it was simply not possible. She didn't understand a thing, so she waited in silence and felt like her head was empty. To tell the truth it wasn't such a bad feeling. However the situation itself was beyond insane at this moment.

A few minutes passed and Lucas jumped in front of her in a white tuxedo. "Too much? I can't even remember when I wore this the last time! But man, I love this suit!" He laughed again.

Emma, on the other hand had had enough. She felt like a child who couldn't understand the adult's world and it drove her nuts. She'd always liked to know the things around her and be fully aware of the situation. All this _crap_ that had just happened assured her of two things – she hated this place and wanted to go home; and Lucas, whoever he was, was dancing on her last nerve.

So she stared at the laughing blond and without thinking it over, she simply punched him in the face.

The smile froze on Lucas' face, but then a short laugh slipped out of his mouth, mixed with disbelief. "Ouch! What was that for?"

Emma wanted to speak, but for a few seconds she couldn't say anything. "Just… Slow down! Tell me what just happened! How can you be…You were... What the hell?!" She tried to make sense without success.

"Oh dear, sorry, I don't have time for that! Gotta go!" He winked at Emma. "But thanks for the help!"

And he pulled out a silver ring from his pocket. He was about to put it on his finger when Emma yelled. "Wait! What are you talking about? And… what's that thing?"

Lucas smiled again. "This? Oh… this is my ticket out of here, honey. I'm afraid I have to leave you with your friends here. Good luck doing… whatever it is you're doing. Bye!"

On that note he put it on his finger.

Emma was sure of only a few things, but this man – _this rabbit_ – being their only hope of getting home was one of them. She rushed towards the man as his ring slowly started to glow. Emma wanted to stop him, so she tried to pull the jewelry off his finger. However, when she touched it, she could feel the world spinning and an invisible force pulling her towards it.

A terrifying thought of losing her mother again popped into her head and she desperately wanted to go back to her. To let go of the ring, before it was too late. She couldn't bear the thought of being separated again. She needed the brunette, even if she didn't say it aloud. She was her family. They belonged together.

All these thoughts chased each other within seconds and no matter what Emma was thinking, once she touched the ring she couldn't let go of it.

She felt a strong pull and closed her eyes in fear as they were spinning, rotating, twirling through the very fabric of reality.

And she knew her prayers were in vain.

They had lost each other again.

* * *

Snow woke up next to Morgana. Her head was finally not burning, but she still wasn't fully okay. She examined herself and apart from her bleeding head - _why is it always my head that gets hurt?_ - she was considerably fine. She looked at the unconscious raven-tressed woman and saw that she was sort of alright as well.

After the first relief she realized someone else was missing. Snow looked around and noticed an open door not far from them. Loud noises seeped from the other room. She couldn't understand what they were talking about, but recognized Emma's voice, which made her relax. She was fine, too. They all were.

She gently got up, paying attention not to wake her friend and stepped closer to the door to see who Emma was talking to. In the middle of the room - surrounded by a thousand books at least – she saw Emma and a man in a white suit. He stood with his back to Snow, but something was glowing in his hand. She saw the fear on her daughter's face as she reached out to grab the mysterious thing. And after a frozen second, when Emma looked up and seemed more scared than Snow'd ever seen her, they disappeared.

They simply vanished. Both of them.

Snow stood there, petrified, but wanting to scream. She didn't know what had just happened, but she was certain of one thing – she couldn't keep her promise.

_I've lost Emma once again._

* * *

**_Oh, not again! Why can't they just stick together for once? Nope, Emma likes getting into trouble! We'll also see what __she's gotten herself - and Lucas - into_ is more than a regular _adventure. Well, if you can say something like that in a world where ogres exist. Oh well..._**

**_oldmcpiper as always -merci :)_**


	20. Bygone

**OH MY GOD! Chapter 20 ladies and gentlemen! To be honest I never thought I'd write this much, but I'm glad I did. (And I'm not planning on stopping any time soon ^^)**

**THANK YOU so much for reading my work. I'm completely blown away by your awesome reviews and encouraging words! Thanks again!**

* * *

**When you don't know the consequences of the problem, chances are they're worse then you'd imagine. **

She smashed to the floor with such force she felt all the air squeezing out of her. She lay motionless for seconds, then opened her eyes. Stars danced everywhere, but she took a deep breath and shook her head and they disappeared.

Emma sat up, still hyperventilating, and heard a complaining voice from next to her. She looked and saw Lucas lying on his back. "Ouch! My back… it hurts… Oi! You! What the hell have you done?" He asked the woman harshly.

Emma had no idea. She tried to pull herself together and looked around the room. To her surprise she realized that she'd already been in this place before. Not long ago. But it all looked different back then.

Emma slowly stood up and walked a circle in the round room. The walls were painted with warm colors and Emma thought it looked very nice. Finally she reached out to the object in the middle of it. She knew exactly what it was now. It wasn't destroyed last time either, but now all the fluffy animals surrounding it and the warmth of the place made it more beautiful than it was back then.

She noticed a familiar thing lying in the wooden bed and she slowly pulled it out. It was a white blanket with purple embroidery. A band of the same color ran at the egde of it, and she searched for a name where she knew it'd be.

_Emma. _

But it wasn't there. The place where it should've been was empty.

Though Emma was certain. It was _her_ baby blanket.

* * *

"What do you mean they disappeared?" Morgana asked the furious brunette. "They couldn't just… vanish."

"But they did! She was standing there, with that mysterious man in white and there was something that glowed and that was it!" She almost shouted with helplessness. "She touched the thing and they both ceased being here. Where the hell are they?!"

Morgana looked at her friend and knew she wasn't capable of thinking sober right now, so she entered the library – or at least she thought it was a library – and tried to search for something useable. She heard how Snow was talking to her or just to herself with anger and knew she couldn't calm her without an actual plan or something tangible.

She looked around the ground floor. Then, after she didn't find anything but books she went upstairs.

As soon as she got up, she froze. Morgana suspected many things to be up there, but what she saw surprised her completely. She didn't even look any further; she simply turned around and ran down the stairs, back to Snow.

"Snow! Snow, dear, listen!" But the woman was still deep in her thoughts and mumbled something about _grounding Emma for a lifetime_, so Morgana shouted at her. "Snow White! You are my friend, but could you please shut your mouth for a second?!" Snow threw her a puzzled look and waited. The raven-tressed woman blushed, but continued. "I think I might have found something that can help us get out of here!"

Snow's eyes widened with excitement. "What?! And you're just telling me this NOW?"

"Well, you didn't really give me the chance to talk…" Morgana mumbled, but Snow's angry _Come on then! _expression made her focus again. "It's a mirror. Come, see it for yourself!"

Morgana rushed upstairs again, and Snow followed her like a shadow. "And what does it do?"

"It's a magical portal between worlds. It can help us find your daughter." Morgana put her hand on Snow's shoulder, who finally seemed to relax. "I used one just like this back in Avalon. When I had magic, that is… They're connected, it's like they are two sides of the same door. But I never knew one mirror existed here too..."

However a sudden fear dispelled the brunette's hopes. "But… _now_ you don't have magic. And neither do I…"

She looked at Morgana desperately, but she could only see her expression mirrored on her face.

"Then what do we do now?"

* * *

Emma turned back to Lucas with the blanket. "How the hell did we get here? And how could _this_ be in here?"

In the meantime he got up and swept the dust from off his tuxedo. "Well, how on earth would I know?!" His fuming look made Emma take a step back. "You were the one who messed with my ring! Why did you touch it?! Why couldn't you just let us go our separate ways?" He shouted, then let out a sound of frustration.

Emma was so pissed at the blond for blaming this whole thing on her that she made the same noise. "Do you think _I_ wanted to leave my friends back there? That I _wanted_ to come here? Open your eyes, rabbit guy! _I_ am _not_ to blame here!"

Lucas poked her shoulder with his index finger. "Well, who else, huh? I was trying to get away, then you grabbed my hand – _my ring!_ – and distracted me! The ring followed your thoughts, not mine!"

Emma narrowed her eyes and looked puzzled. "What do you mean _followed my thoughts_?"

"It works like that. You touch it, think about a person or a place and it transports you there."

Emma thought back to how scared she was to lose her mother. So was that thought strong enough to guide them here?

"But it had limited magic inside it and I almost used it all before!" He continued. "I don't know where we are, but even if magic exists here, we can't recharge it!"

Emma felt the well-known fear reappearing in her, but tried to stay calm. "So what are you saying? It's completely empty? We can't use it anymore?"

Lucas threw her a pale smile. "Maybe. Maybe not. Each time it takes a while to recharge itself, so to speak. If there is magic left inside it, we'll have to wait to find out!"

"I don't understand something… if this thing can go back in time, why didn't you use it earlier?"

"I couldn't use it as a rabbit. That's why I needed to transform back. Also, I like being _human_..." Now it was Lucas' turn to get confused. "And it can't go back in time. It only travels in space. Why? Where are we?" He looked around.

Emma shook her head. "I'm not exactly sure. But I guess… Well, this place must've been my room… And this…" She showed the baby blanket. "It's currently in my apartment in Storybrooke, in my world. It can't exist here, too. Unless…"

"We're in the past…" The man looked around, then back at Emma. "It must have been you. When you touched it, your magic somehow connected with the ring's… Made it different…"

The blonde's eyes widened. "_My_ magic? Are you crazy? No, don't answer that…" Emma ignored the other's _Haha, very funny._ interruption. "I couldn't connect with anything! I don't have magic!"

"Oh, of course ya do, sweetheart!" Lucas nudged her arm and a short laugh slipped his mouth. "I know, it's hard to believe. Imagine me when I'm in my tree, thinking I'm safe from the ogre. Then the door swings wide open and you drag two unconscious women inside! The door what is supposed to let _only me_ inside! So I figure you must've used magic to open it. I think, why not take my chances, so I ask you to transform me back. And… _voilá_!" He pointed at himseft.

Emma though couldn't believe him. He had proven his point, but it was just too absurd to believe right away. So she saved the _believing stuff_ for later, and for now she thought about it as a fact.

"Can I use the ring then? To get us both home?" But Lucas shook his head.

"Don't you listen to me when I'm speaking?" Emma's expression remained the same, so he almost yelled at her again. "We can't recharge it! And there's no way you can travel in time!"

"Really? Well, look around, rabbit guy! How the hell did we get here in the first place?"

But before they could argue more a noise assailed their ears. It was coming from the other side of the door. First it was just a mass of noises, then they could hear the conversation more and more clearly.

"No, I'm telling you, I won't let you put a sword in her nursery! It's pointy and she's not allowed to have pointy things until she's… 30 at least!"

"But really? We already have at least a hundred stuffed animals in her room! Why can't she have a sword?"

"Because, Charming, she can't! She won't need it in her _nursery_… And you won't smuggle it in, I'll notice it sooner or later. No sword! Unless it's stuffed, too."

"Wait! Stuffed sword! That's a good idea! I'll tell your maid to get to the needlework right away!"

They heard a woman's laugh. "If you insist… But…!"

"No pointy things, I get it Snow!" The man laughed too. "Wait inside. This won't take long, I'll be right back."

Emma's blood literally froze as the door opened and a beautiful woman in white dress stepped inside. She came in with her back to the room, so she didn't see them yet. Her hair was longer, her belly was _huge, _but Emma recognized her at once.

_My mother. And little baby me inside her._

She grabbed Lucas' arm and tried not to faint.

The woman turned and jumped a little when she saw the two blonds. Her hands took a defending position in front of her belly, which drove Emma pretty close to crying. She spoke with grace, in a demanding but also kind way.

"Who are you? And what are you doing in here?"

* * *

_**Whoa, hopefully **__**you**_ didn't see that coming! How will they get out of **this**_**?**_

_**Your reviews are always appreciated ;)**_

_**oldmcpiper, thank you for all your hard work! :)**_


	21. What If

**New information usually begs for new problems.**

Emma felt like she couldn't even blink, never mind speak at this moment. Her gaze was fixed on the woman in front of her and she still wasn't capable of grasping the image. She silently thanked Lucas that he broke the silence.

"Pardon us for barging in!" He said in a theatrical way and bowed. His hand forced the petrified Emma to do the same, though she was still staring at the brunette. "We are travelers who got lost along the way, please forgive us!"

Snow's expression softened, but remained suspicious. "Travelers of what kind? And what are your names?"

Lucas spoke with confidence. "My name is Lucas, my lady, and I am from Wonderland. This young lady here is…"

Emma forced herself to interrupt. "Swan. Just call me Swan... And I'm from a land far, _far_ away from here…" Snow's look wandered to the blanket in Emma's hand and her eyes narrowed.

"What an interesting name." She took a step closer to them. "Though you still haven't answered my question. How did you get into my daughter's room?"

Lucas nudged the blonde. "_Her_ daughter's? But didn't you just say it's your-…"

Emma kicked his ankle and whispered through her teeth. "It is."

Lucas eyes widened with realization. "Oh… Ooh, I see…" He looked at the brunette, back at Emma, then back at Snow again - who was still leering at them. He slowly nodded and continued as if nothing had happened. "As I've said, my lady, we got here by accident. Our disturbance is not intentional. We shall continue our journey as soon as our portal is ready." He showed her the ring, but it didn't convince Snow - her eyes were full of suspicion.

Out of desperation, Emma said the first thing that came to her mind to save the situation. "Merlin sent us! I mean… He didn't want to send us _here_, but we're his friends… He wanted to help us get home. "

"Merlin?" Recognition passed over the brunette's face and she seemed to accept the explanation. "He used his _gift_ to help you?"

The brunette said the word with a tone that assured Emma that this moment was essential, she had to answer the unasked question. She cleared her throat and tried to speak as convincingly as she could. " Some may call it a _gift_, others may call it a _curse_." Emma hoped she had quoted Merlin correctly. By Snow's soft expression she knew she did, which made her more relaxed, too.

"By all means, his friends are my friends." She sighed. "I'm sorry for being so cautious. Times have been difficult lately…"

"We understand, my lady. May I ask to whom I have the pleasure of speaking?" Though Lucas' theatrical performance started to annoy Emma, she didn't mention it. She she had bigger problems at the moment, like breathing properly.

"My name is Snow White and I'm queen of the Enchanted Forest." She said it with such grace only a real royal could have done it. Then her face lightened a little. "But my friends just call me Snow." With that she nodded which made it clear that they could call her that.

"The queen?" Lucas' smirk turned back to Emma. "I didn't know you were a pr-…"

"Do you want me to kick you again?!" Emma hissed at him. Since he didn't say anything more, just giggled, Emma turned back to the brunette. The silence was slightly awkward and she felt like she needed to say something. "Congratulations on… you know." She pointed at her belly. Snow nodded and kept her gaze on the blonde. Emma felt a bit uncomfortable. "And do you know… what it's gonna be?" She had absolutely no idea why she asked it. It just slipped out, but Emma was somehow happy that she couldn't take back her words. However Lucas threw her a weird look. He almost looked worried.

Snow didn't take her eyes off her, but stroked her belly. "A girl." She couldn't help but smile. "Though we don't really have a name yet… I can't decide between Hope and Pearl…"

Emma's eyes widened and this kind of shook her out of the numbness. "What?!" Then, she realized the situation. "I mean, I know it's none of my business, but…" She took a deep breath. "Can't she have a normal name?"

Snow answered her with a sarcastic smile. "Like Swan, right? Well -…"

She might have wanted to say more, but Lucas interrupted. "Your highness, forgive me, but can my friend here and I have a moment? There's an urgent matter that we need to discuss... privately, if possible."

The brunette was a bit taken aback, but nodded. "Of course, do as you wish."

Lucas pulled Emma onto the balcony and threw her a disapproving look. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What?" Emma asked simply. "I'm not doing anything! And do you mind…" She wrested her arm from his.

"Actually I do!" He whispered with anger. "You're changing the past!" He paused for a second then added firmly. "You _cannot_ change the past!"

But when Emma understood his words, she didn't listen to him anymore. She shut herself in her thoughts. This whole time a silent thought had been waiting to be noticed and now Lucas' comment made Emma realize something. She couldn't grasp it yet, but a hazy idea started forming in her mind.

_What if…_

She had used this term in her mind countless times.

She had thought about it for a very long time, toyed with the possibilities... What would have happened if she had really _had _a family? If she wouldn't have been abandoned - or as she knew now, _saved_.

Maybe she would've had a proper children's room, filled with photos of her family. Her own, warm, comfortable bed surrounded by a hundred stuffed animals, where her mum would have read her bedtime stories. Then she wouldn't have had to steal the fairytale book from another kid in kindergarten if she wanted to read them. Her mother would have kissed her goodnight each and every evening and checked under her bed for monsters without being asked to do so. Maybe that way she wouldn't have had so many nightmares as a child that the monsters hurt her and there was no one to protect her.

And after that, she would have had her mother accompany her to pick her dress for her first ball. They would have argued a little, but in the end her mom would have told her how beautiful and grown up she looked. How proud she was of her.

Emma had seen all of this by watching the other kids in her school and even though she hated herself for it, she caught herself wanting to have the same. Her own, loving family. And her heart broke every time when she realized that that was one of the many things she could never have.

_But... What if... What if I can?_

Emma didn't say a word aloud, but her thoughts were most definitely written on her face, because Lucas' eyes widened in a whole different kind of realization than before.

"Oh no... No, no, no, no, bad idea! Forget it!" He shook his head as her dreamy expression wandered towards the brunette inside the nursery. Snow was gazing at the baby blanket she now held in her hands and even from the balcony Emma could see her smile.

_I could have my mother... I could have both my parents... All I have to do is..._

* * *

Lucas snapped his fingers in front of her, stepped closer and shook Emma's shoulders as he looked in her eyes.

"Emma, no! You can't! You cannot change history!"

But Emma, still with a dreamy look on her face asked him a rather naive question. "Why not?"

Lucas froze as he realized she wasn't joking. _She would really do it._

"Because! Because it's the past... Look! History - it cannot be changed! That's why it is impossible to travel in time! Or at least I thought it was..." He became confused.

All his life Lucas was told to always remember the three rules of magic. First - it always comes with a price. You have to be careful and use it only when it's really needed. Second - dead is dead. Resurrection is impossible, once you die, there's no way to come back. And third - what's done is done. You cannot change the past or travel in time.

But then again they just did it. And Emma was in the other woman's belly, yet also stood next to her. And this brunette _queen_ was left in Lucas' place, in his world. _Oh, now I remember pixie cut... She killed that ogre, what the heck..._

Lucas wasn't sure how they managed to get there, but he was certain of one thing.

_Change anything, and maybe there would be no future to go back to._

"Emma! Do you even understand what I'm saying?!" His desperate look searched for traces of sanity in her eyes. She had become obsessed with a thought and Lucas knew exactly how dangerous that could be. "Please, listen! I don't know _exactly_ what you want to do, but you _cannot_! Trust me, I know!"

Emma finally seemed to pay attention to the man's words. She replied slowly. "You don't know me. You don't know what I've been through." She smiled. "But I don't have to. All I need to do is take a few steps, talk with Snow and I'll have everything I ever wanted. "Her distant eyes filled with tears. "I could have my family. I could have always had them."

Lucas finally understood her motives. Emma was probably separated from her parents. She most definitely grew up alone, and based on her words, her childhood wasn't exactly a fairytale. And now she saw an opportunity to rewrite their story._ But it doesn't matter!_

"No! You can't!" He yelled at her. "If you do, you will never become the person you are now! You will lose yourself!" He pointed at Snow. "And she'll be different, too! You'll change her personality! Not to mention that maybe there won't be any future for us to go back to! You can't see what your actions could cause! The consequences could be catastrophic!"

Emma narrowed her eyes. "I don't care about the consequences. I need my parents. I just... need them. I always needed them." And she started walking towards the door.

"No! I won't let you do this!" Lucas shouted at her and stood in between the door and the delusional blonde. "You'd ruin everything! I'm warning you, Emma! Don't try to do anything stupid! Hurting ya isn't an attractive option, but I'll stop you if I have to!"

But before either of them could say anything more, Lucas heard a strong voice behind his back interrupting the argument.

"I don't care who you are, but you won't hurt her! Not while I'm here!"

He turned around and a sword held by Snow was almost touching his nose.

_Damn it!_

* * *

**_Sorry for the late update! I had to work with this and the next chapter a lot, since it'll be kind of essential for the ones after them. I try to keep the story line interesting, so I tend to twist the story a lot. But I hope it's not hard to keep tracks. _**

**_oldmcpiper, I know you probably have a million other things to do, but I can't thank you enough for being me beta. But, well, thank you! Again ;)_**

**_Mama Snow's not letting her daughter get hurt, even if she doesn't recognize her. She's awesome like that. :D_**

**_And who do you think Lucas is? You'll never guess his true identity ;) Also, I'm interested in your opinion about his relationship with Emma!;)_**

_**Your reviews are always welcome :)** _


	22. Decisions

**Not everybody's as bad as they seem at first**

Lucas took a step back and lifted his hands defensively.

"Hey, I thought no swords were allowed in here..."

The brunette didn't look angry or upset, she seemed only to be trying to avoid further problems with the two arguing strangers. "Well, not for _her_, no..."She touched her belly again. "But there won't be any hurting each other here. It's not the way things are in our kingdom. And you're a fool if you think I'm defenseless just because I'm alone."

"Oh, believe me, I _know_ that you're not easy to take down..." He laughed nervously and glanced back at Emma.

Lucas wanted to speak privately in front of the armed woman but convince the confused blonde at the same time. He took a deep breath, searched for Emma's eyes which he found and started talking directly to her.

"Remember _pixie cut_ back home? She needs you. If you do this you'll lose her. From the things I've seen and heard I get that you two are not just... related, but also friends. Do you want to lose that?"

For a moment he looked back at Snow and saw the expected confusion on her face, but Lucas pulled his gaze back to the confused blonde. He took a second and thought about how unfathomable she was. Even after betraying her, somehow she still seemed to trust him. Sort of. Maybe just unknowingly, but she did. And that was something Lucas was not used to.

"Please. You don't wanna do this. You have a life back there..." He made a gesture towards the brunette that only Emma could see. "... and she does too - here. They'll make _the_ decision because they'll have to. I'm sure they didn't do it because it was the easy way - but it was the right thing to do. And now... it's up to you to do it. The right thing." He raised his hands again. "Alright. I won't stop you. But remember, if you do it, you _will_ lose everything. And not just you. Everyone else too. Your choice."

Lucas gazed at the devastated blonde and secretly prayed that he didn't make a mistake by trusting her. _She might do it. She's so desperate... But no. She won't. _

_C'mon, girl, you can do it! Choose the right thing! Don't make the same mistake that I did!_

* * *

The moment Emma was reminded of her friend, Mary Margaret she knew she couldn't do it. She was still inside, deep down somewhere in the other Snow's body; but this _queen_ in front of her lacked that personality completely. It's not that she though that this version of her was anything less - she was still everything Emma hoped her mother would be and even more. But it wasn't _it_ for Emma. She needed her best friend _and_ her mother. And if she could be the same person, well, that would complicate things on the one hand, but also, it could be more than she could have ever asked for.

She had taken her eyes off Lucas and they were ogling her feet now. She considered her options and understood with pure sadness that it didn't matter what she wanted in this situation. There was much more at stake than just her own happiness. But as soon as she thought about it, Henry's face popped into her head and she felt horrible for forgetting him. Of course, if she had never been sent away, then he never could have been born. And _that_ wasn't an option. _Lucas is right. I can't do it... It was too good to be true anyway... _

She sighed resignedly and threw a pale smile at Lucas. _I never thought I'd think this, but I'm glad he's here. God! What would I have done without his help?!_

Lucas seemed to understand her decision because he gasped with relief and mumbled a _Thank God!_.

"Well... is there something I need to know?" Snow asked gently, lowering her sword. Emma looked at her and a longing thought that this woman could have been a wonderful mother ran through her mind.

"No." She said gruffly. "It's for the best if you don't." A smile passed over her face. "But... name her something less dramatic than Hope."

Snow mirrored her smile. "Remember, you're talking to someone whose mother named her Snow White. I just thought I would keep up the tradition."

Emma couldn't help but laugh. _This is so absurd_. "Well, don't. I doubt she'd like it..."

"Emma!" Lucas called out and showed her the silver ring. It was slightly glowing now. Emma gave him a questioning look and stepped closer to take a look at the ring. "It's ready... Look," He whispered. "I know you won't like it, but I think you could make her forget that we were here. It wouldn't do any good if she remembered you, now, would it?" Emma had to admit he was right. But she'd never done anything like this before.

"What do I have to do?"

"The same thing you did with the door. Concentrate. That's all."

Emma swallowed her fears of wiping Snow's whole memory away and stepped in front of her. "There's something that I... need to do. Do you trust me?"

Snow's warm eyes looked deep in Emma's and she spoke quietly. "Strangely... yes."

"Alright..." Emma placed her hands on the brunette's shoulders and wanted to close her eyes, but Snow stopped her.

"Just one more thing... Swan... It isn't your real name, is it?" Her frank expression made Emma answer. _She won't remember it anyway..._

"No... No, it's not. It's Emma."

"Emma." Snow echoed as the blonde closed her eyes and concentrated on the words.

_Forget us!_

But she couldn't think clearly, her mother's eyes were burned inside her mind and she wished Snow would remember her.

_Forget us!_

She remembered the loving way Snow said her name.

_Forget me..._

She felt the same wave of energy as before and she knew she had succeeded. Emma couldn't look at the brunette, she turned away and went straight back to Lucas.

His expression had changed since she saw him last time. He was somehow... scared. He drawled. "It's ready. But..."

His face was so pale Emma was afraid he'd faint. "What? What is it, what's the problem?"

Lucas didn't answer her, however his terrified expression slowly changed into a calm one and he said: "Its magic is almost gone. It can only take one." And on that note he forced the ring on Emma's finger. "And it's gonna be you. You'll go home, Emma, to the family you _really_ belong to. Farewell!"

The blonde looked down, terrified at her hand and saw that the ring had already started glowing brighter and brighter.

_I cannot leave him here! I have to do something!_

Emma didn't ask herself why she wanted Lucas to go back with her, but she didn't really had time for thinking anyway. She acted instingtly and grabbed the numb man's hand.

_I can do it! I can get us both home! C'mon! Take us home!_

She closed her eyes and concentrated.

_Take us home!_

Her head ached, she felt blood dripping from her nose, but she didn't stop, she pushed even further.

_TAKE US HOME!_

* * *

The wooden door opened and Charming stepped into the room. He looked around but he couldn't see his wife. "Snow?"

The brunette came inside from the balcony with a strange, blank expression on her face. Charming became worried. "Are you alright? You're not supposed to go outside, it's cold out there."

But the woman shook her head. "I think I forget something important... Something... Or someone... A name..." She narrowed her eyes and dug in her memory as deep as she could. And she found something. "_Emma_?" She whispered.

Charming looked at her, surprised. "I thought you were thinking about Pearl or... I don't know. Something more... _dramatic_." He smiled at her and embraced her in a hug. "Emma... 'you sure it's not too simple for the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

But Snow could only smile back widely and say: "No. It's perfect."

She stroked her belly and her voice was full of love. "Emma."

* * *

_**Huge thanks to oldmcpiper again!:)**_

_**So, Emma did the right thing... They both went back (or should I say forward?) in time and arrived safe and sound... or not? We'll see... ;)**_

_**Your reviews are always appreciated!:)**_


	23. Truth and Consequences

**When a problem is solved, the cause of it remains and creates new problems.**

"Don't give up!" Snow begged Morgana with fear in her voice. "We have to get it to work!"

They were trying to charge the mirror with magic, but since neither of them had it, it seemed like an impossible task.

Morgana dropped herself on the floor in front of the mirror, exhausted. "I can't... I can't do it any longer. I tried to channel the remaining bits of magic into it, but it looks like I don't have any left." She lay on the wooden floor and closed her eyes to rest a little, but Snow got up quickly.

"But we _can't_ stop! This is the only way to get my daughter back." She kneeled next to Morgana. "I _have_ to get her back!"

The raven-tressed woman sighed and sat up. "But there's nothing more I can do. I'm sorry, Snow. I tried, I really did... Maybe if I could rest a little and get my strength back..."

Snow let out a noise of frustration and dropped herself next to the tired woman. Snow knew she was doing everything she could to help her, but right now all she cared about was the outcome. _Get the mirror to work. Bring back Emma. We'll figure out the rest later.  
_

However, she still couldn't understand something and that bugged her. Like she was trying to put a piece of the puzzle into its place and somehow it didn't fit.

After several minutes of silence she turned towards Morgana and wanted to speak. She couldn't, though. Snow opened and then closed her mouth a couple of times, not knowing how to say what she wanted to ask. And more importantly, she was afraid of the answer. She feared that she might not want to hear it.

The raven-tressed woman opened her eyes and saw Snow struggling with her words, so she asked her. "What is it? Do you want to say something or are you just pretending to be a goldfish?"

Snow let out a quiet laugh, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. She looked down at her hands as she whispered so quietly, the other woman could barely hear it.

"Why did you do it? Why... why did you kill Arthur?" The brunette looked into Morgana's surprised eyes. "I thought you two were... family. Your bond always seemed to be so strong. I just... I don't understand."

Her question clearly made Morgana distressed, but Snow saw a different kind of sadness in her eyes, not guilt. Morgana turned her head down and glared at her hands.

"I… It wasn't me…" She felt Snow's confused look on her, but she kept staring at her sweating hands. "I didn't kill my brother. I could never have done it. No matter how dark and lost I'd become… I could've never hurt him…"

Snow waited for more, but the other woman became as still as death. "Then who...?" Snow asked gently.

Morgana raised her head and sniffed a few times, her tears were streaming down her face as she spoke. "It was Mordred – the son of my dead sister. When I ran away from home, - when we met for the last time, remember? - I lived in the woods, but made it all the way through to the Norden border. I went to see the King of the other kingdom, but he was already dead and replaced by another, younger person. He had Morgause's eyes… I recognized him at once. Mordred helped me, but in return he wanted to do one thing – kill his father."

Snow's eyes widened and Morgana nodded. "He was Arthur's child. He was born long before the King met Guinevere. You know Morgause and I didn't grow up together. My mother died not long after I was born, so I was raised by Uther, I shared my father with Arthur. Morgause didn't, _we_ had the same mother, so they weren't half siblings like he and I were. When he and Morgause met, they had fun together... They both were young and reckless. And none of them expected that their relationship would have a consequence."

Snow slowly nodded."Mordred."

Morgana tried to wipe away her tears and continued. "However when the time came and Mordred was about to do what he desired the most, I backed away. But I was too vengeful to stop him – all I did was run. Magic... well, _dark_ magic changed me entirely."

"But... I don't understand. If you were so blinded by magic, how could you stop from killing him?" Snow asked as she stroked her friend's shoulder.

_Poor girl. She trusted the wrong people and made the wrong choices... God, I wish I could have done things differently. _

"I have no idea. But I could." She sobbed. "It's too bad that it doesn't matter. He died anyway... And it was still my fault."

But Snow forced her to turn to face her and grabbed her shoulders. "No! It _does_ matter. You didn't do it. You chose to do the right thing! That only proves what a good person you _really_ are. Look, you're free again, you can do things differently from now on." She sighed. "I know I've been distant... And I'm sorry. I didn't know if I could trust you. But I need you to know that I'm here for you _now_. I am still your friend." She smiled at her palely and Morgana returned the gesture.

"I'll do it." She stood up, suddenly becoming motivated. "I _will_ open this portal. I promise you, Snow." She turned towards it. "I can do it!"

But before she could touch it again to focus all her power on it, she heard Snow gasp and turned to see what had happened.

* * *

Not far from where Snow was standing the air started vibrating. Slowly a light started to get brighter and brighter to the point where it was almost blinding. Then it started fading away.

Snow couldn't believe her eyes when two figures slowly appeared next to her.

The man in the white suit stood closer to her, she could see his surprised, or rather terrified expression perfectly. His arm was clasped by another person and when Snow realized who it was, she almost passed out. Because of two, very different reasons.

First, she realized it was Emma. Her daughter, the one she was ready to go through hell to find. Snow had missed her so much during these few hours, she didn't even know she was capable of this kind of dismay. But here she was now. An enormous amount of relief and happiness spread inside her.

But at the same moment a very opposite kind of realization ran through her. She noticed that her little girl was hurt. Judging by Emma's expression she was in serious pain and her bleeding nose didn't deny this suspicion.

These mixed thoughts and emotions stormed through Snow within a second as the two blonds appeared fully and the ring stopped glowing for good. Before Snow could fully grasp the image in front of her, the blonde suddenly collapsed. Snow cried out in horror. "Emma!"

The man in white caught her just in time. He let her down gently, but Snow pushed him away. "Emma!" She leaned over her motionless daughter and shook her several times. "Emma! Wake up! Emma! Can you hear me?"

The man she knocked off his feet now crawled to the opposite side of the blonde, but Snow couldn't care less. She could hear the man whispering, though it didn't make sense to her. "But it could take only one... Why would she risk it..."

_Emma! Honey, come on, open your eyes!_

Snow tried to feel her pulse. But there wasn't one. She looked up and grabbed the man's suit by its collar. She pulled him closer and shouted right at his face. "What's wrong with her? Why isn't she waking up? What did you do to her?! Answer me!" But without waiting for an answer, she turned back to her unconscious daughter.

"Whoa, you really are _impulsive_, aren't you?" He said, still looking dizzy, staring at Emma numbly. "You haven't changed a bit..."

Snow didn't pay him any attention. She cleaned the dried blood off Emma's face and whispered softly. "Emma... Please, Emma! Open your eyes. I need you to open your eyes... I need you..." Her voice cracked and she lay on her daughter. Hollow sobbing noises left her mouth and she wished there was something she could do. Something. _Anything_.

Then, out of nowhere she hit upon an idea. _Why didn't I think about it earlier?_

Snow sat up and swept the blonde tufts off her daughter's face. _If this doesn't work, I don't know what else could..._

Neither the man nor Morgana said anything, complete silence fell on the room. Snow gently leaned forward and thought about how much she loved her daughter. Even if she wasn't part of her life until now. Even if she was her age. Those things didn't matter. She focused on the love she had felt when Emma was born, when she had first held her, when they had reunited after what felt like the blink of an eye, yet so many years had passed in between. Snow concentrated on her _love_. Nothing more, nothing less.

Her lips softly touched Emma's forehead and she prayed like never before that when she looked up, she would look into the other's blueish green eyes.

Chills ran down her spine as the moments passed and nothing happened. Snow pressed her lips even more. Tears escaped her tightly narrowed eyes and fell onto her daughter's face. _Please! Wake up!_

And then, when she felt like she had abandoned all hope, when she thought she had lost everything, the meaning of her life, really; she felt a shocking wave of energy bursting out of Emma, or somewhere in between them and a light breeze ran through the room.

Snow pulled her head up and with her eyes wide open, still crying she saw that her prayers had been answered.

Emma gasped and her shocked expression changed into a smile when her eyes found her mother's. Snow embraced her in a tight hug, carefully, so as not to hurt her. When she let go of her, Emma still seemed weak, dizzy and _very_ traumatic, but she managed to smile again and whisper something before falling asleep. She said only one word, yet Snow felt like her whole being was being steeped in happiness, which was saying something after what had just happened.

She said "_Mom_..."


	24. Scared and Split

**If there are several problems present at once, it does not rule out the possibility that a new problem might show up**

"I wasn't thinking, okay? Go easy on me, I just came back from the dead..." Emma complained quietly. Her head still hurt like hell.

After she had blacked out again, they had waited in silence for her to wake up in the library. Snow dragged her onto her lap and cradled her gently, sitting deep in her thought. Morgana dropped herself in one of the armchairs and gazed into space, exhausted. As for Lucas, he couldn't stay in the room. The two women had asked him countless questions, but he had told them to wait for the blonde to wake up and ask her instead. And with that he left, none of them knew exactly where he went.

So they waited. And once Emma was awake, they looked for a place that wasn't as freezing as the other parts of the house. Or tree.

Snow, Emma and Morgana now sat in a smaller room of the Rabbit's place which looked like a kitchen, though books lay everywhere here as well. It wasn't large, a table for four and the chairs that belonged to it took all the space, but its atmosphere mixed with warmth coming from the fireplace made it quite cozy. Lucas was still absent, but it caught none of their attention.

"You know you weren't dead, right?" Morgana gently asked Emma, sipping tea from her mug, which Snow had made for all of them not long ago.

"What do you mean?" Snow turned to her, surprised. "She had no pulse... Or, do you know something?"

Morgana shook her head. "Not much. When I was still a sorceress, I searched for things most people thought were impossible or nonexistent. I did a little research on time-travelling, but really, it's just a theory..." She mumbled the last few words, but Snow grabbed her hand.

"Time-travelling? What are you talking about? What happened to her?" But the raven-tressed woman just shook her head again, staring at her mug. Snow squeezed her hand more. "Please, Morgana! I need to know! Please, tell me what happened to my daughter!" Her pleading eyes seemed to do it, her friend sighed and looked up.

"Fine! But I'm telling you, this is all just theoretical assumptions." They waited in silence, so she continued. "I read a book once, whose writer claimed that he had gone back in time. There really was not much detail about his trip, so I assumed that he made the whole thing up. However, when I saw you Emma, your nose bleeding, in touch with some sort of travelling object and using magic, it reminded me of his story, it was the exact same thing he had written..."

Snow turned to Emma with a puzzled look. "Using magic?"

Emma shut her eyes and her mother's voice made her feel weird. Like a child who'd just been caught smoking or sneaking out in the middle of the night. She was _so_ not used to this tone. "Fine! I'm guilty! Commit me to the flames, everyone..."

Snow put her hand on Emma's shoulder and made her open her eyes. "Emma! This is not a joke! _Magic_ isn't a joke! It _always_ comes with a price!"

"And she did pay it, didn't she?" A male voice interrupted the catfight. "Hardest decision ever, huh?" Emma turned and saw Lucas standing at the door. He nodded at her. "I see you're still kickin'."

"You know, you might wanna change that catch phrase. It always translates in my head as '_kick my ass, please_'..." The blonde hissed, seemingly upset for some reason.

Lucas was taken aback. "Ouch. Why the sudden anger?"

Emma got up and poked his shoulder with her index finger. "_That's_ why! Don't _ever_ make a decision for me again! 'You hear me?!"

"Oi! Stop hitting me! I'll be all blue and violet from the bruises you give me!" He took a step back and stroked his shoulder. "And what decision? I let you decide. You chose not to do anything! It was _you_ not me... Hey!" He grabbed a book and pointed it in front of him like a sword because Emma's face indicated that she was about to poke or kick him. Again. "I'm warning you! Quit hurting me!"

"Fine! No hurting!" She sighed with frustration. "But I wasn't talking about..." She glanced at the others. "... that. I meant _this_." She raised her hand and showed the ring that was now nothing more than pretty jewelry. "Why did you put it on me? You would have been stuck there for all eternity." She whispered with anger. "If you had just let me think about it for more than one simple second, then maybe I would have figured out something and wouldn't have been forced to use so much magic that it _killed_ me!" She sputtered.

Morgana coughed quietly. "You were _not_ dead..."

Emma's frustrated look turned to the raven-tressed woman who regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth and was now trying to hide behind her mug from the blonde's anger.

"Why, _thank you_ for correcting me again, my lady! I'm all ears, miss I-know-everything-about-time-travel-lady! Tell me, what happened to me? But, you know, details, because I really wanna know! My version of the story is boring anyway, everything was dark and I felt like I died each second! But I'm sure you know better!" She shouted and ran out of the room.

Emma couldn't understand why she became so furious, but she didn't want to think about it.

She wasn't paying attention to where she was going, the tree-house proved to be more like a labyrinth. It was much bigger than it looked. After several minutes of rushing through the building Emma entered a room that was empty apart from a bed and she dropped herself onto it.

Her head still burned and she wished there was something she could do to make it stop. She couldn't dare think about it, but she bet it had something to do with the darkness that she felt after using the ring. The darkness that was so terrifying, so _real_ that even now, lying there, Emma shivered.

It was like something ice-cold had plunged into her, cut through her all the way to the bone and stayed there, torturing her even more. Worst of all was the constant fear she had felt. The helplessness, the terrifying thought of being vulnerable to something invisible that could strike any minute and the fact that there was no one to prevent it from happening...

Emma curled up on the bed and her rage turned into fear within a second. When she remembered that state - which was definitely worse than_ death_ -, the feeling took over her all over again, and even though now she could open her eyes at any moment, she felt like she couldn't.

She trembled.

But as much as the darkness was present in the room, out of nowhere, a bright beam of light broke through the fear and loneliness. Emma felt a warm hand on her shoulder and the same feeling filled her body as last time.

_Love. _The only thing stronger than the darkness she feared so much, than fear itself.

From that one touch she felt like her whole being was being filled with energy and happiness, hope and strength. She knew exactly whose hand it was and she was more grateful than ever, that this person was there, with her in this moment. _Mom..._

* * *

A few minutes ago, Snow sat angrily in the kitchen and told Lucas off. "You had to get her upset, didn't you?"

"Hey, I just wanted to save her life! How was I supposed to know that she'd feel offended by that..." Lucas sat down on the empty chair and with a bitter tone he added. "Women..."

Snow decided that he wasn't worth the effort, so she turned to her friend. "What was she talking about? Tell me about this dark place, please."

Morgana was too scared to argue so she spilled everything she knew about the topic. "They say when you reach a certain point, when you use too much magic at once, your soul can't bear it anymore. However, doing so is very difficult, the only known way to use so much magic is through time-travel. That's why it's said to be impossible. They say that once you do it, the magic traps your soul in a place that's different for everyone. This man who wrote the book said that everything around him was dark, but somehow the darkness had presence. He said that it was torturing him with his worst fears, his worst memories and nightmares. And there was no escaping and he knew that..." She sighed. "The main reason why I didn't believe him is because he didn't explain how he woke up. But when I saw Emma... I was sure it was the same..."

Snow stared in front of her, frozen. She couldn't believe her daughter had had to go through all of those horrible things. _Alone._

Thinking that, she got up and rushed after Emma. She couldn't bear the thought of her being alone right now. She knew she was terrified, and that even though she didn't say it, she needed someone next to her. To comfort her.

When she stepped into a small room with only one bed in it, she felt her heart break.

Emma, _her little_ Emma, was trembling and crying on the bed and her face showed that she was indeed terrified.

She rushed towards her and sat next to her. Snow put her hand on Emma's arm and gently started stroking it. She didn't know how much Emma would let her in, in this vulnerable state, but she knew she couldn't stay away from her. She _needed_ to be with her hurt, lonely girl.

"You know, I don't really remember my mother. She died when I was really young. However, I do have one memory of her. At night, when I was scared or felt alone in my big castle room, she stayed with me and told me stories... I don't even remember what those stories were, but the way she spoke, her warm, caring voice always made me calm and I felt safe." She sighed with pure sadness. Emma had stopped crying, but that didn't register to Snow. "I know I haven't been a very good mother... I left you, I let you grew up on your own... But I want you to know that I'm here _now_. You are _not_ alone. And you don't have to face your fears alone. Let me help you." She stroked Emma's face. "Please, don't be hostile. Let me in. You need me, and _I_ need you more than anything..."

But she didn't get an answer. Minutes passed slowly, and Snow thought that maybe it was too much for her, that she'd run away from her again. Then suddenly Emma sat up and embraced Snow in a hug that was most definitely coming from a scared child. She squeezed her so much, Snow could barely breathe, but she didn't care. She felt joy thrilling through her heart. Her head started to ache, but she didn't pay any attention to it. Right now she thought it was impossible to be happier, to feel more love than she already did. She was wrong.

"I love you." Emma whispered quietly, but Snow could hear it perfectly. She felt like she wanted to jump out of her body and fly and scream out of happiness.

Her whole being was torn between the pity and sadness she felt for her little child and the overwhelming joy that rushed through her over and over again.

And this tear caused something else too. Her aching head became more and more disturbing and even though she didn't want this moment to be ruined, she broke their hug and made at grab at her head. "Ah!" The pain became so much she could barely bear it.

She sat at the edge of the bed and when she lost her balance, she collapsed on the ground.

Inside her head was the biggest mess she'd ever experienced. One second she thought about how scared her daughter must be... _Daughter? I mean, flatmate. Friend._ Emma. _No, she's my little girl... No she's my drunk friend...My... Who am I? Snow White, of course why would I question this... No, I'm Mary Margaret, I'm just a schoolteacher... I belong here, this is my home... No! This place freaks me out, I have to go _home_..._

Her whole head seemed to split in two. She knew she had to choose which part to concentrate on. One part. Snow. Mary Margaret. _Both_.

No, both was too painful. She had to choose.

The momentary hesitation pushed Snow aside and without actually deciding to do so, Mary Margaret fought her way to the surface and opened her eyes.

* * *

She lay on the ground of a small room. Emma's red eyes stared at her with horror.

"Mo-... mom, are y-... are you okay?" She kneeled next to her and touched her face with both hands, still in shock. "What happened?"

"Emma..." Her head still hurt very much, but she tried to speak. "What are we doing here? How did we get here?"

The blonde's scared expression was now replaced by a confused one. "What do you mean? You followed me here... I bet Morgana is outside the door, eavesdropping right now..." She tried to lighten the mood a little.

The brunette narrowed her eyes. "Who's Morgana...? Never mind... We have to go home. Emma, this place scares me, please let's go back to Storybrooke!"

Mary Margaret watched as Emma's whole face drooped.

She whispered in disbelief. "No... Not again..."

* * *

**_I know, I know, can't I just let them be happy, stay together and be a family for more than a few seconds? Nope, I like to twist things far more ;D_**

**_I noticed that I keep writing long chapters. That's one of the reasons why I'm updating this story less frequently. It is a lot of work, damn it! Also I have to keep in my that I've already written the end of it (kind of, not the _very_ end), so I have to make sure every little detail falls into place before finishing it. Sorry, I'm just mumbling here..._**

**_I feel like I owe oldmcpiper a lot more than just saying 'thank you'. You, man, are my right hand and without your help I would be in serious trouble :)_**


	25. Mama Bear

**In stressful situations you cause problems without realizing it**

"Okay, sit here... just... sit down." Emma guided the brunette back to the kitchen and pointed at one of the empty chairs.

"No, Emma. I won't sit down until you tell me where we are!" She stepped into the small room and jumped a little when she noticed the two other people in it. She spun around and with her eyes wide open she whispered. "And who the hell are _they_?"

"What happened?" Morgana asked. "Snow, are you-..."

Emma cut her off quickly. "Mary Margaret..." She said with a meaningful look. "Her name is _Mary Margaret_ and she doesn't remember you..."

"What do you mean she doesn't remember us? Is she hurt?"

Emma shook her head and was about to say something, but Lucas interrupted. "Great! Just when I thought we could have a little rest, she gets into trouble! Tell me, what happened now? No, no, no, let me guess... Aliens abducted her and erased her memory?" Although his tired voice showed that the sass came from exhaustion, Emma gave him an angry look.

"It's not funny, rabbit guy." She glanced at Morgana with a desperate look. "It's a _problem_."

"And a big one." The raven-tressed girl stood up and came closer to them, but Mary Margaret backed away.

Emma gave her a reassuring look, but she couldn't hide the concern in her voice. "It's okay, she's a friend. We can trust her. Just... sit down, please. I have to talk to her for a sec. I'll be right back, I promise."

Emma gently forced the brunette to sit, even though she was still suspicious and visibly scared. Emma couldn't look her in the eyes, she still saw her mother in them. She turned to Lucas who was seemingly annoyed with the situation. He dropped himself on a chair opposite of Mary Margaret's and swung his feet oto the table as Emma spoke. "Watch over her for a few seconds, will you? This time without causing trouble, if possible..."

Lucas raised his hands defensively. "Hey! _I_ never was the cause of anything. _You_, sweetheart, on the other hand were responsible for _everything_ that happened since you bumped into me..." However he sighed when he saw that Emma was about to start arguing with him again. "Fine! I'll babysit her, just be quick, 'k? If anything happens to mama bear here, _I know_ I'll be blamed for that too..."

"Mama bear?" Mary Margaret threw him a questioning look, but he just waved his hand.

"I know, it's not the best nickname I could come up with, but... I'll figure out something that fits you more! Just give me some time." He winked at her.

Mary Margaret's desperate look begged Emma. "Please, don't leave me here with _him_..."

Emma still didn't look at the brunette, her narrowed eyes were fixed on the smirking man. "Don't worry. He _is_ a jackass, but not as bad as he seems. Plus, he owes me big time, I saved his worthless life..."

"Yeah, thanks for that, but I don't remember asking you to!"

"_Enough_!" Morgana interrupted. Emma threw her a surprised look, she would have never expected that this shy girl had such a big voice. Morgana blushed, but continued. "We have plenty of things to figure out. And this isn't the way to do it. Lucas, behave and stay put! S-... Mary Martha, you will be safe here, just don't leave his side, alright?"

"It's Mary _Margaret_..." She corrected automatically and searched for Emma's eyes. The blonde seemed to avoid her, but she became determinate and stared at her hard. She grabbed hold of her arm, which finally made Emma's gaze turn to her. Mary Margaret whispered with a shaking tone. "Just hurry back, okay? I don't like us being separated..."

Emma knew the brunette couldn't understand the weight that her words carried, but the world spun around her. This was so much like Mary Margaret, but when she reminded herself that this woman was her mother, these words gained new meaning. Emma also realized that it had always been there, she was simply too blind and headstrong to see it. Knowing that Mary Margaret was unwitting of this, just made it all worse. She could only give her friend's hand a reassuring squeeze and rush out of the room. Talking was something that required much more than what she was capable of at the moment.

Morgana followed her in silence.

When they reached a bigger room with a billiard table and a lot of liquor in it, Emma stopped and turned with tears glittering in her eyes. She used all her will to keep them at bay.

"Are you... okay?" Morgana asked gently, but with one brief nod the blonde moved on. She needed to concentrate. _My mother _and_ my best friend are counting and depending on me! Damn it! Pull yourself together, girl!_

She explained their story in a nutshell; where they came from, how they got to the Enchanted Forest - as Morgana had told her it was called after hearing her description of the land -, how she met Lucas and the most important thing: the problem with her mother's dual personality. Emma tried to make it clear - she needed to get her mother back, without having her best friend disappear again.

Morgana's expression showed, that the bomb of information Emma had dropped on her was a little bit more than what she was able to comprehend. It took her a few seconds to grasp every word the afflicted woman had spluttered. Finally, she shook her head.

"I'm not sure that's possible..." Before Emma could pelt her with her concerns, she raised her hands rapidly. "Emma, Emma, let me explain! First of all, I still don't understand how two personalities could share her body. However, from what I understood they cannot exist simultaneously. Like they are two parts of a whole... I can only guess, but my bet is on the curse. It _has to_ do something with it. You know about the Queen's curse, don't you?"

Emma nodded, but shook her head at the same time, which ended up being an odd headshake. "I mean, I've read about it, but... I never believed it was true. I still don't, to be honest. Or... I don't know. Everything that's happened is beyond crazy, magic, ogres and all... But to tell the truth, I haven't had much time to chew on things lately..."

Morgana put her hand on the beat up woman's shoulder and with an encouraging look she raised Emma's hope. "Then I know just the thing we need to do."

* * *

Lucas gnawed on the sunflower seed he had found in the cupboard out of boredom.

The humble-mouthed brunette sat exactly the way her daughter had left her, staring at the ground, glancing up at him every now and then. He had to admit with astonishment that this scared girlie was indeed a different person than who he had met before. The fierce and self-confident queen was gone and replaced by a nun. _Whoa. That's what I call a U-turn._

However, he couldn't help but feel amused by the situation. And the fact that _blondie left her mommy_ with him. He snapped at himself in thought. He was being a douchebag again. Well, if you have no one to be nice to for twenty-eight years, you have to learn control over your sass all over again.

"So..." He spewed the crust of the sunflower seed on the ground. "... this is all new for you, eh? "

For an answer he got a quick nod and a brief glance at him. When their eyes met, the woman pulled her gaze off Lucas, but in this split second something happened that made Lucas change his attitude. It might have been the worried look the woman constantly threw at the door or the fact that he realized what a screwed up situation she was in. Whatever it was, it made Lucas commune with himself.

_What the... how can this woman have this kind of effect on me? It like..._

But he didn't finish the sentence, not even in his mind. It was too painful to think back to his childhood and the longing for to see someone look at him the way this woman gazed at Emma.

"It must be hard..." He said thinking aloud, but the words caught the brunette's attention.

"What?" She hadn't overlooked the sudden change of tone.

Lucas grimaced. "Seeing her all grown up... And not even knowing why."

The woman pursed her forehead, but before she could speak Lucas continued. "I mean, no matter what you call yourself, you haven't seen her in twenty-eight years... I don't know what it's like to be a parent, but I'm sure as hell that it wasn't easy. I mean, letting her go." He paused for a second and then went on, now talking more to himself than to the brunette, who made a funny face, but remained silent.

"Y'know, my mother had always been kinda a hard-ass. Never fully satisfied with the things I did, never truly trusted me, _hell_, never really cared about me. But y'know, she was my mother. I loved her anyway." He sighed. "I tried very hard to make her proud, to be a good boy..." A short laugh slipped his mouth. "Yeah, right. I could've run away for all she cared..." His marveling eyes turned back to her. "I haven't thought about her in a very long time. But seeing you with your daughter, it's just... not fair, y'know. Not at all..."

"My what?" The brunette finally gave voice to her confusion. Lucas turned back to her from the fireplace.

"Your daughter. Emma, I mean. You'd do anything for her... I never thought I'd say this, but I'm kinda jealous of her, damn it..."

He could see that his words got the woman by surprise and he finally heard the silent voice that was humming all along is his head. "_Her name is Mary Margaret... and she doesn't remember you."_

_Oh wait... maybe she doesn't remember her own...? _

Her widely opened eyes and strange expression assured him that she had no clue what he was talking about.

"What on earth are you mumbling? Emma... being my... what?!"


	26. Fighting an Inner Battle

**You are your own worst enemy**

Dark. Dark and cold. And still. So still you think you could cease to exist any second.

Then suddenly she felt as if she was under water. She didn't know which way was up or down, she couldn't open her eyes or feel anything.

Desperately trying to hold onto something, she tried to focus on one strong feeling so she wouldn't fade away. But as time passed it became harder and harder to concentrate. She had thoughts in her mind but they were just words, she couldn't understand them. It was all blurry and hazy. Fear, the most basic form of fear took root in her thoughts. The fear of death.

But a strange, yet familiar feeling made her realize that it wasn't the _strongest_ kind of dismay she'd ever felt.

This simple sparkle was enough for her to suddenly grasp the idea she was trying so hard to reach.

_Emma. My daughter. No. NO! Emma!_

There's only one fear stronger than being afraid for you own life. It's the fear for your child. The terrifying thought of them getting hurt. It's so overwhelming that you forget about worrying about yourself and your whole world revolves around one thought.

_Emma!_

But the dark underworld Snow was trapped in wouldn't let her go, not matter how desperately she wanted to get out of there.

Almost none of her senses worked; she could only rely on her hearing, which wasn't as easy as it seemed. Snow couldn't hear things properly, this underwater state she was in made everything blurry. It was like waves were crashing against her ears and there were only a few seconds after each to grasp and use her hearing. It didn't make sense.

_"... just sit down..."_

Wave.

_"... mama bear..."_

Wave.

Snow felt like her head was about to explode - assuming she _had_ a head, because she couldn't feel her body at all.

In this difficult situation she knew she couldn't focus on two things at the same time, so she shut her ears as much as she could. To her surprise, she succeeded. She was in complete silence.

She tried to think things through.

_What happened? _

_I was sitting next to Emma, then... what?_

She couldn't remember. But when she tried to look back in her memory to find some sort of explanation she felt a finger touching her forehead. It wasn't real, it was in her memory.

_"When the time comes, choose wisely! One half with the other. You will need both."_

Merlin's words neither made any sense back then, nor now. But Snow knew it was important. Somehow she made herself remember and she knew that the time had come to use them, to make the right decision with their help.

_A decision. But what the hell could I decide here? I don't even know where I am!_

She knew this wasn't leading to any answers, so she decided to concentrate on the other half now. When she tried to use her ears again, it surprised her how much clearer the things she heard became.

She could hear whole sentences now and the strangest thing she'd ever heard.

Herself talking.

* * *

"Okay, that's it. You know what?" Mary Margaret stood up and threw the sweater she was holding at the astonished man. "I'm done listening to you! Your words are not making any sense! I don't know who you are, but I won't let you make a fool of me!"

And with that she stormed out of the kitchen.

Mary Margaret couldn't imagine why she became so angry - at the man in the white suit for being so annoying, at Emma for leaving her there and at this whole situation where she didn't understand anything to begin with -, but it scared her. She'd never felt an emotion this powerful like the one she was filled with now. She didn't know how to control it. Like a part of her that she didn't know tried to take over her.

Whatever it was it scared the hell out of her and made her rush through the corridors and rooms like she was being chased.

She didn't pay attention to where she was going - running from the madness or rushing torwards something comforting. Yet she kept going, deep in her thoughts, until she opened into a rather large salon.

Emma and the raven-tressed woman jumped a little when they heard the door shut.

"Mom!" Emma let the word slip through her lips without thinking it through.

"No..." The brunette stepped closer to them, speaking with disbelief in her voice. "Not you too! What's wrong with everyone here? I'm not your mother for God's sake!"

But she could see the hurt in Emma's eyes which made part of her anger fade away. "Sorry. I know that was harsh. But... Emma, please, explain what's happening here!" She begged the blonde. "I don't know where we are, I don't know how we got here, I don't know these people, I don't understand a damn thing!" She yelled desperately. "And _this_! I'm not used to being angry like this! What the hell happened to me?"

Emma put her hands on her shoulders and looked in her eyes. "It's okay. You don't remember quite a lot of things, but it'll be alright, I promise." She glanced back at the other woman, who nodded as if approving of something.

Before Mary Margaret could voice her concerns even more, Emma made an unexpected move. She leaned in an gave a tender kiss on her forehead.

Mary Margaret froze as she stood. A weird feeling rushed through her, she was almost able to comprehend what it was, but before she could grasp it, the moment passed.

Emma backed away, tears glittering in her eyes and on her face, smiling like a little girl who's found something very precious to her.

The brunette stayed where she was, but asked. "What the hell was that for?"

Her confused look made Emma's eyes widen. She turned to the raven-tressed woman and yelled at her. "You said this would work! You said true love's kiss would bring her back! Look!" She pointed back at the astonished woman. "She's still not here! What's the problem?!"

"I... I don't know." The woman clearly became scared of Emma's harsh tone. "Or maybe..."

"What?" Mary Margaret had never seen Emma this rude before. She focused on the conversation, not wanting to bother with _true love's kiss_ or _mom_.

"Well... She doesn't remember. She doesn't love you like she should. You're just her friend now..." She whispered, staring at the ground.

"Great!" Emma rolled her eyes. "Then what the hell do we do now?"

However, before she could answer her, Mary Margaret interrupted. She could feel her mouth moving, the words coming out of it, but she didn't understand how. She wasn't talking. "Emma... Emma help!"

They both turned to face her as she grabbed her throat and stared at them with a terrified look. "Emma! It's Snow! I'm in here!"

Emma rushed to the horrified brunette and gently peeled her hands off her throat. "I'm here. Don't worry, I'm here." She said this while looking deep in Mary Margaret's eyes, yet she had the feeling the blonde wasn't talking to _her_. "Are you okay? What the hell is going on?!"

The brunette couldn't do anything, the words came from her and she couldn't stop them. "Merlin! Remember what Merlin said! One half with the other! I have to make peace..." She became silent for a few seconds. "I can't stay long. She's fighting me. Tell her! The Mary Margaret part of me! Tell her who the Snow-part is and make her make peace with it! Then she'll remember both, we'll become one. I already have, I remember everything..." Another pause and Mary Margaret felt tears running down her face. "Emma, hurry! Please..."

Mary Margaret didn't know what was happening but she did know one thing - she wanted it to stop. She wanted to be able to control her own body again.

_Stop it! Get out of my head! I said... OUT!  
_

She collapsed on the ground. Emma kneeled next to her and helped her sit. "Are you okay?" Mary Margaret heard real concern in her voice, yet she pulled away.

"What the... Okay. You." She pointed at the blonde with a shaking finger, still hyperventilating. "Explain. Now."

* * *

_**Phew. Sorry for the late update. My life has been a crazy mess this few weeks and I couldn't write much lately. **_

_**First I was a little afraid with this concept - Snow talking while MM is in charge -, but I'm pretty satisfied with the result and the next chapter will be a lot of fun for me to write. Or at least I think so.**_

_**Just to make things clear - MM and Snow are not two separate people. They have different personalities, that's true, but essentially what makes them different for me are their memories. I'll explain this in the next chapter as well.**_

_**oldmcpiper deserves a huge thank you again, I cannot tell how grateful I am for your help C:**_


	27. Friend and Family

**Never do anything without thinking it through first. Or do it, if you like surprises.**

They sat in the kitchen again, surrounding the small table that was covered with sunflower seeds, as Emma tried to explain things as simply as she could. It wasn't easy, she imagined that understanding it must have been even more difficult, however her friend sat in silence and only interrupted her monologue a few times. Lucas had disappeared again, however none of them noticed it, they had bigger problems at the moment. The brunette was clearly scared to death - it wasn't every day you learn that another personality of yours is trying to break out of you and gain control over your body.

"I told you, she's not... well, _you're_ not... the Snow part of _you_..." Emma was looking for the right words and gestured with her hands wildly. "She's not trying to take over anything! She just needs you to understand, to accept and then you two will... collide... merge..." Emma felt like she sounded ridiculous. "Become one." _Well, I do sound crazy._

"But I don't have another personality inside me! _Snow White_... really, Emma?"

Emma sighed, she had became very tired and hopeless and almost felt like giving up, when Morgana took over the conversation. "Then how do you explain your blackouts? The way you spoke to us in the billiard salon?" Her open, frank expression demanded Mary Margaret to answer.

"I... I don't know. But there has to be another - a saner! - explanation." She turned back to Emma, trying desperately to convince her of the truth. "Emma... you can't actually believe that I'm... that I'm your mother... it can't be..." Her voice became a whisper, but it made the blonde look up.

"I don't _believe_ you are. I know. And you do, too. You just have to accept it." Somehow her tone sounded hurt and harsh, as if she was blaming the brunette for not trying to believe at all. Emma had never been good with words, but now she pulled herself together and tried to sound as convincing as she could. "I know what it's like, trust me. Having all these insane things around you, it's not hard to think you've gone crazy. Actually, it's the easy way - not believing." She sighed. "Listen. I didn't believe Henry, I thought he was delusional or just childish to say the least. But he wasn't, I know that now... but we're separated and I don't know when, if ever I'm gonna see him again. Look... I know it's a lot to take in... but I couldn't accept it until it was life and death." She stared deep into Mary Margaret's eyes. "Don't make the same mistake. At least _try_."

Emma saw the confusion in her eyes, as Mary Margaret turned to face the fireplace and gazed into the flames. She knew it was hard. But it had to be done. She was _this_ close to getting her mother back again and she couldn't risk failing.

Mary Margaret was her best friend, the first person she'd ever opened up to. Emma had always been on her own, battling her demons alone, without anyone to fall back on - she had to deal with the difficulties of growing up without her parents to look after her. But this wonderful woman let her in and became her family without even knowing they were in fact related. And she felt like it was the cruelest thing in the world to make her believe that she could ever have her and her family back at the same time. To get her hopes up only to later dash them, and force Emma to blame the only person she'd promised herself that she'd never hurt, that she'd protect no matter what. The one she liked drinking hot chocolate with cinnamon with just as much as whiskey; the only one she had ever shared her past with. She simply felt relaxed to be around her, like never before.

But then, for a short while she got to meet her _mother_. And it wasn't until that moment that she realized how empty, lonely and incomplete her life had been without her in it. It wasn't until the moment her mother wrapped her strong, protective arms around her that she felt complete, at peace and _home_. But now that her best friend was back, Emma couldn't help but wish she wasn't. She was angry at Mary Margaret for keeping her and her mother apart. Which was kind of crazy, considering they were the same person. Nevertheless for that she hated herself beyond imagination.

"I know you want to find them." The brunette's weak, thin voice broke the silence. "Your real parents." She didn't turn, her gaze was fixed on the fire. "Your family."

Her words took Emma's heart and squeezed it, hard. She heard the soft edge of them, the hurt inside her tone. She knew exactly what they meant.

She got up and walked next to the numb woman whose eyes filled with liquid as she stood motionless. Emma put her hand on her friend's shoulder and stared at the fire as well. "I have found it. Long before we got here. I've found you." She let the words came out without trying to stop herself. She had guarded those words so well, she had tried not to reveal how much she depended and counted on Mary Margaret since they met. She felt like if she ever told her the truth, she'd either push her away or Emma would have been forced to leave town sooner or later anyway, so why make things difficult to begin with. It was usually her tactic to stay behind her walls, keep her thoughts and emotions behind them, so she stuck with that during her time in Storybrooke. But now... now was different.

Now she had too much to lose.

"I've found you," She repeated. "and it was more than I ever hoped I'd find. You became my best friend, my only pillar, the sister or cousin I've always wanted to have. _You_ became my family, _Mary Margaret_." Emma used her name to affirm that she was indeed talking to her friend, not her mother. Mary Margaret finally looked up into Emma's eyes and couldn't help but smile.

"You know..." She sniffed a few times. "I've always known that. _Hell_, I felt the same. But... You never said it aloud."She shook her head slowly. "I was constantly trying to figure out what was inside your head, why you did things and why you didn't. You were like a never-ending mystery I was never able to solve."

Emma felt her own eyes becoming full of tears, but she tried her best to hold onto them.

She felt like she had finally made progress. If only she could convince Mary Margaret to trust her enough to believe in such nonsense... But it wasn't impossible. Not anymore.

But before she could go on, the door opened and Lucas stepped in with such a huge pile of books in his hands that it hid him up to the top of his head.

"Oh hey. Coming through. Could you... yes, thank- ouch! Move, please. Yes, thank you very much." He mumbled and maneuvered to the table - accidentally bumping into Mary Margaret in the process. He dropped the books with a sigh of relief and a satisfied smirk. "I've found it!"

"You!" Emma yelled and poked him with her finger. "You were supposed to look after her! Why can't you just do what I ask you to?!"

"Oi! I thought we'd talked about the _stop hurting me_ topic! Geez, girl! And it's not my fault Snowflake there ran away..." He wrinkled his forehead. "No, Snowflake's not good... I need to find another nickname for her..."

"Lucas!" Morgana interrupted. "What have you found?"

He pulled out a small bottle of silver liquid from his pocket and showed it around like a trophy.

Emma stared at the item with a bored or rather angry look on her face. _He interrupted me for this? _"And would you share with the rest of the class what _exactly_ this is?"

"I will, sweetheart, just thought I'd ask for permission first."

Emma tried her best not to snap at the _sweetheart, _and asked calmly. "Permission for what? Enough riddles, rabbit guy! Spit it out!"

"Easy there, princess. I've found the solution you were after. You're welcome, by the way..."

The blonde stepped closer and whispered with urgency in her tone. "What solution? You're talking about my mother? What can we do?"

Lucas put his hands on her shoulders with a smile. "First of all - calm down! You need to clear your head before going any further. Good. Now." He straightened up and his smirk faded away. "Do you trust me?" When he saw her expression he continued. "Alright, I know I've not _exactly_ been helpful, but that's only because I've never asked for permission before. Now I _am_. I'm here to help. Do you accept it or not?"

Emma pondered her options. Maybe she could help her mother come back. Or not. Mary Margaret was not easily convinced and Emma was impatient - to say the least - to get her mom back. The longing to hear the loving way she said her name again clouded her judgment and without further questioning - which she had planned before - she nodded. "I do. Bring her back!" Her pleading voice seemed to soften Lucas' expression.

He nodded as well and went to Mary Margaret who followed the conversation with attention. She glared at the man with suspicion as he spoke. "Here, Mama Bear... I guess I'll stick with that nickname... _Mama Bear_. It does fit you, y'know... Take this bottle and drink it." He offered the liquid, but Mary Margaret backed away.

Emma forced her way around the table, grabbed her hand and squeezed it with reassurance. "Please. _I_ ask you to do this. I need my mom back, please give her back to me..." She felt she couldn't keep her tears at bay anymore, they ran down her face as the words broke out of her chest. "I need her just as much as I need you. I need both of you... Please. I have faith in you. But now I need you.. to have faith in _me_..." She sniffed and looked in the brunette's eyes where she found hurt and a need to comfort. "Can you do that?"

Mary Margaret didn't answer at once, she looked at Lucas and took the bottle out of his hand. Then she turned back to Emma, who was still not able to pull herself together and said. "Of course. I trust you with my life, Emma."

On that note she drank the contents of the bottle in one draught.

But neither Mary Margaret, nor Emma could foresee what would happen once she did it.

That she'd drop to the floor and lose her consciousness once again.

* * *

Mary Margaret opened her eyes, she was standing in water in a dark place. It was cold as ice and still.

A few moments passed in complete silence, but she couldn't even ask herself how she got here.

Suddenly, not far from her a person rose from underwater and gasped. She wasn't wet, just like Mary Margaret was completely dry. The woman gasped, looked around and stood up slowly. Mary Margaret's jaw dropped when she realized she was staring at herself.

Another version of herself. Her hair was much longer and she was in a long white dress, but she was definitely _her_.

This other woman looked just as shocked as she did, yet she seemed strangely relieved. "Oh. Welcome. So... this is kind of weird, right?"

It wasn't until this point that Mary Margaret thought she'd completely lost her mind.

But now she did.

* * *

**_Again - sorry for the late update. I know I keep saying this, but school is taking over my life currently and I have very little time to write and even when I do have an oportunity to sit down and continue this story I just can't think of a single thing to write. Oh well._**

**_oldmcpiper, I owe you a huge thanks that even when you have final exams, you find time for betaing my horrible grammar! _**


	28. At Least Try

**Where patience fails, force prevails.**

"_What the hell_?" It took all of her will power for Mary Margaret to even speak. She had an endless list of questions, yet she felt like her tongue had knotted itself together.

The other woman laughed. "Oh, you don't know which question to ask first, right? Who _the hell_ am I, how _the hell_ did you get here, where _the hell_ is Emma and how _the hell_ can you get back...? Just a few of the thousands, am I right?" She let out another short laugh. "You know you kind of learned this from Emma... you tend to say_ the hell _a lot lately..."

"Who-... who are you then?" Mary Margaret was careful not to say those two words again, yet she strangely felt a need to do it. The other woman was right, it was because of Emma, but she wasn't _learning_ it from her, right now it was intentional. She wanted to have a piece of her friend with her there - a piece of sanity or confidence she needed desperately.

"I'm you. We are the same... Sort of."

"Okay, you know what?" She raised her hands, staring at the ground to stay calm. "I've been getting all these equivocations ever since I opened my eyes in this land, and I've had enough of it! I need an explanation, please, tell me what is going on!" She looked up and turned around in the water. "Where the hell are we?!"

The woman in white took a deep breath and looked around. "I don't really know, to tell the truth. This place is in our subconscious, that is my best guess." She turned back to Mary Margaret and her face was full of pity. "I know you want to get answers. I am going to tell you everything that I know, you have my word. But in return you have to promise me something."

Mary Margaret felt a little relieved that someone had actually promised to give her an explanation, yet she suspiciously asked. "What exactly?"

"Try and make peace with it. It'll be a lot to take in and frankly, I don't think I'd believe it if you'd told me the same thing I'm about to tell you. But you'll need to do it. For yourself, for your family, for everyone. At least _try_."

Her words echoed in Mary Margaret's head, _déja vu_ hit her again. Speechless, she nodded and listened calmly as the other woman started talking.

* * *

Hours passed. Or at least she felt like it had been hours. The woman in the white dress talked without taking breaks, it was like she was reading a fairytale book.

She told Mary Margaret a curious story about the princess Snow White, but as it turned out, it wasn't exactly how Mary Margaret had known the tale. It was quite refreshing to hear that she was anything but a damsel in distress.

The story included her childhood and teenage years; how she met had her _Prince Charming_ later and had started a family. _She seems m__ore_ like a damsel with dagger. She sounds kind of badass.

Then, the tale made an unexpected turn. The other woman explained how the evil Queen had cast a horrible curse, how Snow and her beloved husband had gotten transported into another world, accompanied by other characters Mary Margaret knew. How they had to send their newborn girl away before the curse struck - and even though it still sounded like a yarn, Mary Margaret's heart seemed to believe it was true. She felt it breaking for the parents and mostly for the child. Being alone in the world is the worst curse anyone could have.

But the woman didn't stop there. She told her how the Savior had returned 28 years later. And it was at this point that Mary Margaret couldn't tell the difference between the story and reality.

This other woman recounted moments where only Mary Margaret and Emma were present, conversations, jokes, advice - the best moments the brunette had had for as long as she could remember. They were part of the story,_ Snow White_'s story, how she reunited with her daughter, how she had found her after all those years; but at the same time it was Mary Margaret's_ life_. Her life, her best friend, _their_ story. It started to confuse her more than anything had up to that point and it was saying something.

"Whoa, wait a second." She felt her throat dry after hours of silence. "This sounds like the story of that cartoon character... Snow White."

The other person nodded. "Because it's my story. I'm Snow White."

"But..." Mary Margaret tried really hard to understand. "But you said you're _me_... however crazy that may sound..."

"I'm a part of you. You and me - we are basically the same person. The only difference - why we can actually be two separate people now - is our memories. Or rather, the lack of it, in your case. You don't know part of your story, the Snow part of it. You were cursed to forget." Snow explained everything slowly, for which Mary Margaret was grateful, yet it didn't make it easier for her to understand.

"No, no, I do _understand_. It's not the problem. _Believing_ that it's true is another thing. I mean... I've read Henry's stories so I know these tales... Do you know who Henry is?"

"Partially." Snow wrinkled her forehead with stress. "I only have a few very blurry memories about him. Mostly I remember the time you've spent with Emma. I think it's because you're still not willing to let me in. And I can't let you in my half, because you don't believe..." She sighed. "It's more difficult than I expected."

"Hold on a second." Mary Margaret waited a few moments in silence, then spluttered the words. "If Emma is my daughter and she really is the Savior and is meant to break the curse which will give us back our memories, then how the _hell_ am I supposed to do so without her fulfilling her job first?" She wasn't sure she made any sense, but she had to say it aloud, so maybe the other woman would understand it and explain it to her as well.

"That's the problem. We have to somehow find a roundabout process before the curse is broken."

"Oh boy." Mary Margaret thought she'd have gotten used to her hurting head, but it still bothered her very much. She tried to clear her thoughts. "You know... I still don't understand something. You said I have to try believing, that I have to make a _decision_. But... you are _me_ as well, aren't you? Can't you do it for me?"

Snow slightly shook her head and it was obvious that she'd thought about it too. "I'm the suppressed part of your consciousness now. And I couldn't do anything in your place anyway. I can only influence you and help you to believe. But it has to be your call."

Mary Margaret didn't want to say it aloud, but she didn't foretell much good if it depended on her. But then, a sudden force rose inside her and made her believe that everything was going to end well. That good _would_ win in the end. She'd never felt an emotion so strong before - well, maybe that anger she'd felt not long ago -, her questioning look turned to Snow.

She nodded. "It's me. I always try to channel you as much as I can from your old self. You know, you used to be much more positive and optimistic. Remember... when Emma arrived in town and she told you that she'd been sleeping in her car? When you were thinking about inviting her into your guestroom, but didn't feel the courage to ask her? It was me, indeed. I wanted to make sure she was as close to you as she could be. As safe as she could be... Her presence woke me up, but I still remained underwater..."

Her voice cracked and she didn't continue, but Mary Margaret asked her something anyway. "You were in here? All this time?"

"Well..." She paused for a second. "Sort of. But when I finally got to reach the surface I didn't remember this place or your part of my life."

Mary Margaret took another look at the dark place they were in. "So. Are we trapped here or what?"

Snow shook her head. "I have no idea. I've been in and out this whole time you were in charge. I don't know what happened."

Mary Margaret tried to remember the last thing that had happened to her. "Lucas..."

The other woman's expression changed into a questioning one. "The man in the white suit? The one that Emma tends to call _rabbit guy_?"

"Yes... He made me drink something. He said it would help... me... get _you_ back... or something like that." Mary Margaret said slowly, still unsure of her words.

"Drink something, you say? A silver liquid by any chance?" Snow asked quietly, seemingly deep in her thoughts.

"Exactly." Mary Margaret's puzzled look turned back to Snow. "Why? What did it do to me?"

* * *

"What have you done to her?!" Emma shouted. No. She was beyond shouting and cursing and crying - she felt like every emotion inside her wanted to explode out of her body and tear her apart. The only thing that kept her together was the burning desire to tear someone else into pieces first. The man who took away her mother and her best friend, her last hope and the last bit of love she had in her life left, apart from Henry. _Lucas._

"Slow down! Hey! Emma! Just le'me explain!" Lucas tried to run from her, but Emma was quicker than he expected. She grabbed him by his neck and pushed him to the wall of the small room. Her face was almost unrecognizable, pain and wrath broke out of her with a sob.

She whispered, wildly shaking. "I've had enough of your excuses. I was wrong to trust you. I want you gone!"

Emma left herself shutting down. She couldn't hear the man's desperate words or Morgana's pleading voice from behind her. Red smoke filled in her mind and she could think of only one thing. Pushing Lucas as far away from her as possible.

_He didn't even want to be here! He wanted to travel somewhere... Then go, you coward! Go to the place you wanted to! _

She looked deep in the man's eyes with cold hate, then shut her eyes. It took him a second to realize what she was about to do. The last thing she heard was a desperate, yet quiet _believe me _coming from Lucas.

She didn't stop and it only took one brief moment. Emma didn't even have to concentrate much.

_Go away!_

The energy rushed out of her, she could feel as Lucas' neck disappeared from her hands.

Emma opened her eyes. The wraith inside her vanished just like Lucas had, but she faced the situation she was in, and wished it had stayed.

Desperation slowly started to take over her, considering that she might have just sent away the only person who could've helped, her mother was still... _no, she's not... dead. Unconscious. _- and Morgana seemed so freaked out, she had probably had a panic attack.

So the blonde stood there, in the middle of the madness. Speechless. Motionless.

Alone.

_Again._

* * *

**_I'm so sorry for the late update! I've had a lot of difficulties with this chapter, I've rewritten it at least 3 times and it took longer than I expected. _**

**_But! A quite big plot twist is coming up... Next chapter will tell... _**

**_Thank you for your reviews, they truly mean a lot to me!:)_**

**_oldmcpiper, you are awesome! Huge thanks as always _****_for betaing me_**:)


	29. Welcome Home

**Sudden decisions solve no problem**

"NO!" Morgana shouted. Emma felt as she grabbed her hand and searched for Lucas in the thin air. "No! Why did you do that?!"

The blonde couldn't argue, she felt numb and dead on her feet. She didn't want to know why the other woman was so worried for Lucas, _if_ it was worry; frankly she didn't want to think about anything.

She stumbled back to her motionless mother and sat down next to her. Slowly she reached for her hand and held it, feeling no pulse, seeing no sign of life. But Emma didn't cry. She couldn't fully grasp the picture before her. Not that she didn't know what it meant, but it was simply too terrifying and permanent. Too real.

"Answer me!" Morgana on the other hand looked like she was loosing it. It didn't register with Emma, otherwise she probably would've asked herself why the other woman was acting so strangely. "Where did you send him? Where is he now? Tell me!" She grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her off the ground. "Tell me!"

"Why?" She asked quietly. For her, the world had stopped. Why the rush then? How could Morgana still want to go on and not sit in horror? How could time still go forward? Why hadn't it stopped when her mother exhaled her last breath? "_What's the point_?"

"The point?!" Morgana seemingly wanted to say a lot of _nice_ _things_ to Emma, but instead she thought about what to say before taking a deep breath and speaking calmly. "The point is that _he_ might be able to help her. Do you hear me? Where did you send him?"

"Help her...?" A slight beam of light appeared in Emma's mind. "What do you mean help her?"

"Well he gave her that damn thing, didn't he?! He must know a way to reverse it! Now... Tell me where he is!"

"I-I don't... really know. I just sort of... pushed him away."

"C'mon!" The raven-tressed woman pulled her to Mary Margaret. "Help me. Grab her arms!"

"What are you doing?" Emma asked, still confounded.

The other woman gave her an angry and impatient look. "Well you're gonna open a portal and we'll follow him! God, I never should've let him near you in the first place... I had the opportunity, why didn't I just..." Her words turned into mumbling.

Emma still wasn't sure what she was talking about, however she grabbed hold of her mother's arms and after Morgana's command, they carried the unconscious woman upstairs.

"Well, open it! Hurry!"

"What?" The blonde felt like she was being made a fool of. _What could I open up here? It's just a bunch of books and clothes and a mirror..._

_The mirror._

"You mean-?" She pointed at her own reflection.

"Yes! Get on with it, for crying out loud!"

Emma touched the edge of the steel frame and tried to visualize the feeling she had felt pushing Lucas away.

_Open!_

She felt nothing. She grabbed hold of the mirror and her hands started sweating as she concentrated.

_Open!_

And it worked. She had no idea how, yet instead of her mirrored image, she saw what looked like dark grey waves in the mirror.

She was proud of herself, which felt kind of strange after these crazy days. But not because she seemed to have no problem using magic, she didn't care about that at the moment. It was because she thought this way maybe she could make up for her earlier wrong decision caused by sudden anger. She was still furious at Lucas, but she knew using magic against him and not listening to him was not the way to handle things.

She was occupied by these thoughts, when a sudden push broke her from the trance.

Morgana tossed her aside with such force she fell on the ground. She saw her mother's motionless body dropped on the floor where Morgana had held her a few moments ago, the same person she saw now jumping towards the mirror without thinking or looking back.

"No! _Wait_!" Emma shouted, but it was in vain.

She got up as fast as she could and tried to pull Mary Margaret to the mirror. It had already started to set back to its original form, the waves became smaller and smaller each second and Emma doubted that she could open the portal to the same destination again.

_No! No way I let the last chance I have for saving my mother __slip away_! Damn it!

She felt like every bone in her body broke when she jumped after Morgana - holding Mary Margaret's body in her arms. Under normal circumstances she could've only dragged her, but the adrenaline flowing in her veins made her stronger.

For a few seconds she couldn't breathe. She felt the oxygen crowding out of her lungs. She started choking.

Fortunately the whole thing lasted less than half a minute. She felt herself collapse on something solid, and even though it hurt, she didn't mind. She was grateful for the air that filled her lungs once again.

* * *

It took Emma a few more minutes to be able to pull herself together and open her eyes. They were on the edge of a forest, yet strangely, she had the feeling that something was wrong here. That something was markelyd out of the place.

She laid her mother carefully on the ground and searched for Morgana with her eyes, but she couldn't find the raven-tressed woman anywhere.

A loud noise coming from behind her assailed her ears and Emma spun around to see what was happening. A woman in a very strange blue ball gown ran out of the woods, with eyes closed, a few feet above the ground. Like, she was really running, or rather floating in the air. _I don't understand, how the hell can I still be surprised? Flying princesses, why not?_

The brunette yelled loudly and hit the ground not far from them a second later. However Emma became suspicious, so she approached the woman carefully.

"Hey... Uhm, you okay?" Emma asked. "Can you explain to me how you could... _fly_... please?"

The woman's head snapped up and with her eyes wide open, she started mumbling. "Oh no, oh no no no, this isn't where I'm supposed to be! I have to find him, I have to go find him, I really need to find him! He messed up! I can't believe he messed up!" She looked desperately at the stunned Emma. "He _never_ messes up!"

"Okay, lady, you need to slow down. I've had days that were... difficult. Just... tell me who you are!"

"I'm Guinevere... Just call me Gwen... I can't believe I'm here..." She kept mumbling to herself as she got up.

"Wait, like... _the_ Guinevere? " Emma wanted to continue and the other woman's questioning look demanded an explanation, yet the blonde had finally figured out what was so disturbing about this place. Something that was so out of place in this environment. Something that didn't belong here... Or maybe it did?

The blacktop ran at the edge of the forest, cutting it in two. It was such a common thing, Emma was so used to it that she didn't even ask herself how it could've been in the Enchanted Forest... _If_ they still were in the Enchanted Forest.

"No... way..." She whispered to herself when she found what she was looking for.

Emma stared at a painted wooden sign on the side of the road and she couldn't believe her eyes.

_Welcome to Storybrooke._

* * *

**_Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated this story sooner, we had technical problems and I had kind of a writer's block. But I'm back! And I have great news: I passed my driver exam! Hooray! _**

**_Anyway, sorry if I haven't replied to your reviews lately, I barely had time to even write:\._**

**_I hope you'll like this chapter, and the next one too, which will be uploaded tomorrow, I think, because it's almost done already! Keep an eye out for it ;)_**

**_oldmcpiper deserves a huge thanks (again) for being the best beta ever!:)_**


	30. Déja Vu

**The original problem is always the biggest problem.**

**Author's note: ****_I have already written the part when Mary Margaret wakes up, it was the last chapter of Drunk. I suggest you re-read that first for understanding the situation better! If you don't want to, I wrote a brief summary of it. Also, after that part -_****_ I recommend reading the first and second chapter of this story before continuing this one._**

* * *

"Really?" Emma whispered to her. "We're... _home_? _Now_?"

Out of all places she thought they might arrive this town was the last thing she'd have bet on. She was so focused on saving Mary Margaret's life and getting her back, she hadn't really thought about getting home, not while they were separated.

A sudden thought ran through her mind as Emma realized she was only a few miles away from her son. As much as she didn't want to be part of his life at the beginning, all she could think about right now was the idea of embracing him in a hug. Henry was _her_ son. And Emma desperately wanted to find him, just like he'd found her not so long ago. He turned her world upside down, for which Emma was grateful, even though she couldn't believe she'd ever think that. She wanted to tell him that she believes now. That he was right all along, that he's the furthest thing from crazy. That Emma was proud of him, beyond words.

Her mind was spinning with this sudden realization. She felt Gwen standing next to her, still mumbling. "I swear I'll never wear these again... " She held her shoes in her hand. On the sides of each shoe a small wing flapped imperceptibly, seemingly out of energy or magic. "He promised me these would work... I'll have a word or two with him... if I ever get back, that is..."

Emma turned to her, still petrified by being so close to their home. "So... How did you get here?"

The brunette gave her a slightly annoyed look and held the shoes higher. "Didn't I just tell you? By using these shoes... Maybe I shouldn't have..."

"What are you doing here?" The blonde asked, not so interested in her answer.

"I'm... looking for someone." She responded briefly, as if she had just realized she was talking with a complete stranger. "What was your name again?"

"I'm Emma... Swan." Her glance turned back to Mary Margaret as she went on. "And that's my mom. Does the name Snow White ring a bell to you?"

"Snow?!" The brunette's look became horrified as she saw the motionless, lifeless body lying on the ground. "Snow!" Guinevere ran to her and kneeled next to her. "What happened to her? Is she-...?"

"She's... Well..." Emma searched for words, but then she realized who she was chasing a few minutes ago. "It's complicated. I'll explain later. But she needs my help and well... yours too." Emma walked to them with a pleading look on her face. "Could you help us?"

"Of course! Snow and I, we are... _were_... friends. I'll do anything to help her." She glanced up to her. "You really are her daughter?"

"Yes." Emma smiled, sadness filling her whole being. "But she's not... _dead_. I know it. She's still there inside somehow."

"Are you certain?" Gwen's soft voice asked, visibly battling with her tears.

"No. But I _have_ _to_ believe it's true. Faith is all that's left for me and I'm gonna hold onto it with everything I've got." She answered quietly.

Gwen nodded and stood up. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well, that's our home town, y'see." She pointed at the wooden sign. "I bet there is someone who can help us in Storybrooke. But first, we better get her home, dragging her with us everywhere isn't the smartest move now, is it?"

"Home?" To Gwen's questioning look, Emma explained where they lived and how to get there. "I see... Well, let's go then!"

She bent down and grabbed hold of Mary Margaret's legs as Emma went to her head. She had the strangest feeling, _déja vu_ when she looked at the other woman standing in front of her. Last time it was Morgana who had helped her, just like Gwen now. Maybe she shouldn't trust her. It could be a trick or a trap.

"Is everything alright?" Gwen asked, still waiting for Emma to help her carry the unconscious woman.

"Yeah." Emma sighed, deciding to trust her anyway. _What other choice do I have? _"Let's do this."

They carried the woman slowly, carefully. Then, when they passed the wooden sign an unexpected turn of events made them stop.

As Emma walked past the board a barely audible, male voice whispered in her mind, reminding her.

_"You will help her and make sure both of you go where you have to. When you cross the line all your fears will disappear."_

But instead of her fears disappearing she could feel her memories slipping away from her.

One by one, starting from this moment, they slowly started fading away, no matter how hard Emma tried to hold on to them. It was her price. A price she had agreed she'd pay.

The last thing she remembered was the moment she woke up in that forest days ago. Then, when that last piece of memory had disappeared, she felt empty and powerless.

Emma felt her knees became weaker and weaker, trembling at the weight of the brunette, and not a moment passed before she fell on the ground, losing consciousness.

* * *

Guinevere had seen many things in her life, many horrible and tragic things, so when the blonde - _Emily, wasn't it?_ - collapsed, she didn't panic. "Emily! Are you okay? Em-..." She turned her to her side. "Well, I'll call you Em 'till you wake up and tell me your name again, okay?" She didn't know what exactly happened,, but she felt her strong pulse. "It's going to be okay. Alright. What do I do now? Okay. I'll... take you two to your home, okay?" She sighed. "I just wish I knew how exactly I'm gonna do that..."

Gwen tried to pull them both at once, and even though she was in good shape it was still too much for her. So she pulled them separately for a few meters, then went back to pull the other one next to her. She struggled for several minutes, when she saw a strange carriage coming towards them. The _thing_ was red and went faster than an average carriage would and made weird noises. It stopped right before the amazed woman, whose mouth hung open as she still held Snow's arms in her hands.

A tall brunette girl jumped out of the car and rushed to them. "Oh my God! Is that Emma and Mary Margaret?! What happened?" She took a better look at Gwen and added, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. And may I ask why you're dressed like you just jumped out of a Hallmark card or something?"

"A what?" Gwen let go of Snow and stepped to face the stranger. "My name is Guinevere, but Gwen is fine. Can you help me please?"

"With what? Oh, and I'm Ruby, by the way. I'm sorry for attacking you with those questions... But really, what happened to them? Are they okay?" Real concern showed in her voice.

"I have no clue. I just met them a couple of minutes ago. Em said they lived nearby and asked me to help her carry her to it." She pointed at Snow. "She was already unconscious when I got here. Then suddenly Emily collapsed as well. I don't know why."

"_Emma_." Ruby corrected hardly audibly. "I sure can give you a ride to their apartment and help you carry them to it." Ruby buttoned up her coat which looked more like a cape. "Come on!" She went to the other side of Snow and grabbed her legs. "On three! One. Two..."

* * *

"Three!" Snow shouted and she started running towards Mary Margaret. She did the same thing, aiming at Snow as she went forth. The water seemed to have no effect on them, it was like running on solid ground. They painfully collided with a loud _AH!, _and fell into the water.

"Oh my God!" Mary Margaret gasped for air. "This was the stupidest thing I've ever done! I should've never listened to you... Ouch!" Her whole body hurt from the impact.

"I thought it would work..." Snow said, also hyperventilating. "That thing Lucas gave you, it allows us to merge. On a subconscious level, what other way is there to _merge_?" Anger snuck into her tone.

"I don't know. But it's most definitely not this way." Mary Margaret stood up and helped her other self stand as well. "Any other ideas?"

Snow knew another way, yet it felt like torture to make the decision. But she knew it had to be done. "There is... one other option."

"What?" Mary Margaret asked impatiently.

"You go back up." She responded quietly. "We both can't do it, and otherwise we're prisoners in here. However, if you regain consciousness and tell Charming to kiss me - _you_ - with true love's kiss, then maybe... _just_ maybe..."

"It'll wake you up." The other woman finished her sentence for her. "And because of the potion Lucas gave us, you wouldn't push me down. We could collide. But... it would also mean, that you're stuck in here while I'm awake."

"I know." She said simply. "But this is how it has to be." She took a deep breath. "Tell Emma... Tell her I love her, will you?"

"No wait, I can stay here and you-..." But she never got to finish her sentence.

Snow fell into the water and disappeared beneath it.

"No! You forgot something! I won't remember any of this! Snow!" But it was all in vain.

Mary Margaret couldn't do anything against the pull she felt from above.

She closed her eyes and felt as if each memory of hers started to fade away from her.

* * *

Mary Margaret opened her eyes with the worst headache she'd ever had. She felt the world move with her as she stood up quicker than she should've.

She remembered strange things - being pulled on the ground, a girl in a funny dress who looked somehow familiar, and Ruby... _Or maybe not:_ She couldn't tell for sure and her hurting head didn't help her much.

"Easy there, you look like you've had more than me last night." Emma stepped into her room. "Which is, I have to admit, quite impressive. Although I don't remember a thing, so I don't know exactly how much have I had, but that probably proves me right."

She took the aspirin her flatmate offered her and followed her to the kitchen.

"Why did I sleep with my clothes on?"

"Don't ask me, I woke up next to you in my red coat. It looks like we both dropped on the bed as we were last night and fell asleep immediately."

After a few minutes of talking Emma left for the station. This conversation had made her strangely happy.

* * *

Mary Margaret shook her head as she listened to Emma complain about the arguments she'd had with the townspeople who claimed she wasn't available. "I'm sure it's nothing. It must be… " She closed her eyes and stopped in the middle of her sentence because the pain in her head was so strong she couldn't think clearly. She felt herself collapse, and when she opened her eyes again she was in a watery place with a weirdly familiar woman.

"I'm sorry I dragged you down again." The woman spoke calmly. She strangely reminded her of someone she knew... Or maybe of her own self somehow. "I heard you before falling into the water and you were right. You didn't remember. And I couldn't think of any other way to make contact with you, I'm sorry. And for the headaches too. That was me trying to connect with you. Well, sorry." She apologized again, yet Mary Margaret had no idea what for.

"Who are you?" She asked, lost in her thoughts. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry. When we wake up, you'll remember everything, I promise." She nodded with a confident smile. "Emma _will_ save us. Again. You'll see."

* * *

She felt Emma's lips on her cheek and a wave of energy rushing through her and everything around them.

When she opened her eyes she wasn't Mary Margaret anymore. But neither was she Snow White.

She was _both_.

* * *

_**Chapter 30 ladies and gentleman! Whoa. That's a lot. I hope y'all enjoy reading it as much as I love writing it!;)**_

_**oldmcpiper, I owe you a big thanks as usual:) I don't know what I'd do without your help!**_


	31. Broken

**Solving a problem is not truly a victory if you don't remember the problem.**

Emma felt as a strange wave of energy flowed between her and Mary Margaret, right after she kissed her on the cheek. She didn't really understand why she did that, somehow she felt as if it was the thing that needed to be done. When the brunette gasped for air a few moments later she knew she had done the right thing by following her instincts.

Mary Margaret's hand grabbed her arm, hard; her eyes lodged into hers and the terrifying moment turned into a form of relief.

"Wha- What the hell… What just happened? Are y-… Okay? Mary Marg-… What?" Emma tried to speak properly, but the words seemed to be stuck in her mouth, as if it was still out of her control. Her whole body was shaking as she helped her friend stumble to the couch.

"You… you were dead." Emma felt the words cut into her flesh, realizing that she really thought she had lost the brunette forever. "You weren't breathing. You had no pulse... I thought I'd lost you too…" Her eyes filled with tears. "You collapsed just like Graham did… It scared the hell out of me."

But no matter how hard she tried to keep her emotions at bay, she knew she couldn't hold onto them for long. Mary Margaret didn't move or make any kind of reaction to her outburst; Emma was shaking and crying, sobs broke out of her chest, like she had more reason for crying than just recent events.

After the first big wave of tears she felt a soft hand stroking her back. When she looked up, Emma met Mary Margaret's eyes, yet somehow she felt like she wasn't looking at the same person. Something had changed in her. The brunette's expression was so direct, so powerful that it scared Emma. It was strong, bright and overwhelming; a look that Emma had never seen in her life - well, not looking at her. It was pure love. The admiration and pride that radiated from the other woman made the blonde recoil.

"What-..." She started, but Mary Margaret took each of her cheeks in her hands, which made her speechless at once.

The brunette spoke calmly and her voice was full of grace and love. "I can't thank you enough, my dear Emma. You saved me, once again; you saved both of us. I'm _so_ proud of you."

"I don't understand... what-" Emma started, but the loud noise of the front door snapping wide open cut off the end of her sentence.

A brunette woman in a weird dress stormed in and with a relieved _Snow!_ she embraced Mary Margaret tightly. Emma thought her friend would back away from the foreign woman, yet she reacted just as joyfully. "Gwen! Oh my goodness! I can't believe it's really you! It's been ages!"

"Thank God! I thought you were dead! Well, Em told me you were not, but still... when it looks like a dead body and feels like a dead body..." She smiled slightly.

"I know." Snow nodded. "But I just had a little chat with myself, that's all." To the other woman's widely open eyes she laughed. "Trust me, it was way stranger experiencing it than hearing it second-hand. Now... Could you tell me what happened? How did we get here?"

"I don't know how you got here, I mean, the town; but what I do know is I brought you here, because Em told me it was your home. And I had a little help." She glanced back when Ruby rushed in the front door and embraced Mary Margaret just like the strange woman did.

"Oh God, I'm so glad you are okay, Mary Margaret! I thought... Well, we both thought..."

"I know, but it's okay now, Red. Everything's okay!"

"I'm not so sure about that..." Emma spoke finally, having had enough of the tea party while she didn't understand a thing. "First of all, who the hell are you?" She got up and walked slightly closer to the trio. "And what do you mean _we thought you were dead_? No one's dying, you hear me?" She sounded rude, but frankly it was the exhaustion and the lack of information that drove her impatient speech rather than anger.

A sudden thought rose in her mind. Like it was something she had told herself she shouldn't forget, yet she did forget it. _Henry. I need to find Henry._

Emma didn't understand why she felt the urgent need to see her son, she had seen him just yesterday. However a quiet voice inside her told her it was more than just a few hours they had spent separated. "You know what? Forget it!" Emma walked towards the front door and grabbed her red jacket and car keys. "I'm off to see Henry and by the time I get back you better explain everything to me..." And with that she shut the door behind her back, still hearing the others' voices.

"What's wrong with her?" Ruby asked.

"She still doesn't remember... We'll have to figure out a way to make her remember. Gwen, could you help me?"

"Me? How?"

"It was Merlin's magic that took away our memories. Mine got restored when she woke me up with true love's kiss, but apparently hers didn't... Do you know a way to get her memories back?"

"No... Though it was Merlin who helped me get here, or rather _sent_ me here, so maybe he did it on purpose..."

"Wait a second, why _are_ you here..?"

Emma couldn't hear her respond, she jumped over the few remaining stairs and stormed out to the street without looking back.

She'd had enough. Her day was already going crazy, and this conversation just made it worse.

She got to her car and was about to jump into it, when a strange man on a motorcycle stopped at the other side of the road. Emma had never seen this vehicle in town before, and strangers didn't really come to town, so she stood there, holding the car's open door, staring at the man.

He got off his bike and came closer to Emma. "Is this Storybrooke?" He asked after he took off his helmet.

"Yeah..." Emma didn't understand why she had the feeling, but it was like she knew this person from somewhere.

"Do you know a place where I could get a room?"

"You are _staying_ here?" Emma sounded a little harsh, so she cleared her throat. "Sorry. Granny's Bed and Breakfast is just up the street."

"Thank you." He said simply and turned around to get back on his bike, but Emma raised her voice.

"Hey, I didn't catch your name!"

The man glanced back and with a smirk he responded. "That's cause I didn't give it."

And he was gone before she could bring herself to snap back at him for being so mysterious. _Isn't this great? Just what I needed, another problem..._

She jumped quickly into her car and just sat there for several minutes, feeling like her mind was completely empty. Then, she buckled up and started the engine, feeling oddly excited to see her son again.

* * *

It took him about half an hour to get his things into the small hotel room and get comfortable. He had expected many things when he hit the road, but the situation awaited him upon arriving in this town definitely wasn't one of them. A half-proud half-satisfied smile snuck onto his face as he sat down to the wooden table and grabbed one of his smaller bags.

On his way to Granny's he had stopped by a small souvenir shop and bought a few things he knew he'd need.

Though he had concerns about the future, he knew this had to be done. _A promise is a promise..._

He took the black marker and searched for the postcard in his bag. Once he found it, he wrote one, simple word on it, knowing that this message was highly anticipated and perhaps would cause a lot of trouble. But he owed her that much; he owed _both_ of them.

After he finished, he went to the window and took the trained pigeon out of his cage. He liked these birds, they were smart and reliable - perfect way to send messages.

He attached the postcard to the animal's foot within a second, and it flew away with its message. A smirk appeared his face again as he thought about how much this word would mean to that particular other person.

_Broken._

* * *

**_HUGE thanks to oldmcpiper again! I seriously don't think I say it enough:)_**

**_So, most of you guys thought the story ended when Mary Margaret and Snow became one, but for me, now's the chance to actually twist the story as I please. Up until now I needed to keep in mind how I wrote the first two chapters, and try to connect with it. But from now on I can truly write freely I guess:)_**

**_Anyway! New characters ahead and old friends will show up in the next few chapters as well! _**

**_Thanks for your amazing reviews, they blow me away every time!:)*sends virtual hug to reader*_**


	32. A New Kind of Normal

"So, tell me, what's your name?" Emma asked, half-laughing, sitting at the table in their apartment, having breakfast. The cereal was really good and she enjoyed picking at him during meals. "Your _real_ name."

"What do you mean?" He asked back, mirroring her smile, yet confused at the same time. He poured some coffee into two small cups and handed one of them to his wife.

"I mean, what should I call you?" Emma shrugged. "I'm not really ready for the D-word yet, no offense. David is your _Storybrooke-name_, and I like it and all, but obviously it's your cursed name." He wanted to say something but Emma raised her voice and continued. "Charming, I know, it's the other name people tend to call you, but - with all due respect - I really can't bring myself to call you Charming. It's way too kitschy for me, and trust me I have a low tolerance for these things anyway." Emma glanced at her mother who suppressed a smile. She never once called her Snow, just Mary Margaret or mom a few precious times. "So. It's time to reveal your real name, Prince Charming." Emma punched his shoulder playfully.

"Ouch," her father laughed and stroked his right arm, pretending to be hurt. "Easy there, princess."

Snow took over the conversation. "And you don't even know the whole story."

Emma looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean?"

Snow laughed and went back to put her cup in the sink. "Have you read the story of how we met in Henry's book?"

Emma shook her head. "Well, your dear father," Snow gave a disapproving look to the mentioned, "told me his name was James."

"James?" Emma turned to him with a smirk. "So _that's_ your real name, huh?"

"Not quite." Snow walked back to the table and half-hugged Charming as she spoke. "It was his twin brother's name."

"Twin brother?" Emma's eyes widened. "Like, this family isn't complicated enough as it is already... _Another_ relative?"

"No, he's not around anymore, relax. I didn't even know he existed, only that I had to take his place to avoid war." He sipped his coffee.

"And how exactly did you do that?" Emma asked with a full mouth.

"Well, I fought a dragon and was forced into an arranged marriage."

Emma swallowed a huge amount of cereal and coughed a few times, gasping for air. "Ar-... Arranged marriage?" Her widely opened eyes snapped to Snow.

They both laughed at her response. Snow poured a glass of water and handed it to her before she started choking. "No, it wasn't with me. It was with Princess Abigail. And it was called off, by the way, so don't worry. However, that's how we met for the first time."

Charming winked at Emma. "She stole my jewels. I walked right into her trap and had to chase her through an entire forest to find her."

"Oh," Emma felt like she had gotten too much information at once. "Well, I can see now where the whole _I will always find you_ stuff came from..."

Her parents exchanged a loving look which made Emma feel a little uncomfortable. She remembered that she had to go to work. "Anyway, thanks for breakfast and for the story time too, but I'm late from work. And I guess I'll have to read that book if I don't want any more surprises..." She laughed nervously as she grabbed her red jacket, phone and car keys. "Oh and don't you think that you're off my hook, David. I _will_ get your real name out of you someday!"

"Oh really?" He asked back.

"Really. See you guys later." And she shut the door behind herself with a wave.

Snow picked up her daughter's bowl and put it next to her cup in the sink. "She's handling it pretty good, don't you think?"

Her husband walked to her and his face was somewhat stressed. "I don't know. I suppose, yeah. Better than before, that's for sure." He looked at the door. "But she's still running away when she feels overwhelmed. And I still don't know when I have to pull the break before she has enough."

"Hey," Snow made him turn to face her and put her hands on his shoulders. "I know the feeling. I remember that I gave her an  
_I don't give a rat's arse if you don't want to hold my hand I'm your mother and I love you to death and I'm gonna come here and hold it until you squeeze back_ type of hand squeeze once."

"And?" He asked, smiling.

Snow let out a short laugh. "Well, she didn't let go, but you should've seen her face..." She looked at him with a serious look, but still was smiling. "She's not running away. She has work, she has her own life. We've got to respect that."

"I know, and I do, it's just..." He sighed. "I wanna make up for all the lost time."

Snow hugged him tenderly. "And you will. She stays here, we have all the time we need."

"Our very first meeting gave me pause, to be honest."

"She was different back then. She didn't remember."

"I'm just glad we're over that." He held his wife tight.

"I know. Me too."

* * *

Emma got to the station considerably quickly. This place had become her second home now days, which was kind of strange. She wasn't really used to having _one_ home to begin with.

Her head still felt dizzy, but it was understandable after everything she'd been through. It was a strange feeling now - remembering how she didn't remember. It was exactly one week before, but it felt like a year to say the least.

* * *

After she picked up Henry, they both went back to Mary Margaret's apartment. To her surprise, there were only two people there, yet not those she had left there half an hour ago.

"Emma!" David's otherwise strong voice was now soft and caring, as he saw them stepping in. Henry had been confused up until that moment; everyone acted strangely around him and he couldn't figure out why. But now, seeing his grandfather looking the way he looked at his mom, he knew exactly what was going on.

"Gramps!" He called out, widely smiling.

"Yeah kid," David stepped closer, tears glittering in his eyes that were still fixed on the petrified Emma. "I suppose so." He added barely audible.

For a frozen second everything was the way it was supposed to be. Yet Snow's inner alarm system beeped when she saw her daughter's puzzled, almost scared face. _This is too much for her. _But Charming didn't know that. They barely had time to reunite when he stormed into the small apartment; Snow simply didn't have the chance to tell him that their daughter's memory wasn't exactly intact. And even if she did, Emma wasn't exactly an easy person when it came to the emotional side of things.

"Hey, guys... Just go easy okay? What the hell is going on?" Emma's trembling voice asked Mary Margaret rather than the ex-coma patient. Snow knew she needed to do something before her husband attacked the blonde with his love, feeling the exact same need to embrace her daughter, she understood that he would do it any second. However he was faster than she'd imagined.

"David, don't," Snow called out, but he seemingly shut out everything else apart from his daughter.

David walked towards Emma and wanted to embrace her in a hug, but the horror-struck blonde seemed like she was actually afraid of this man. When he tried to put his arms around her, she backed away quickly and punched him in the face. Panicked at her sudden reaction, with eyes wide open she u-turned and sprinted out, somehow completely forgetting about Henry or the fact that she had just assaulted someone for no good reason. Maybe it was her fight or flight response, but right now all she knew was that she needed to get as far away from this place as possible.

* * *

Now, standing in the Sheriff's office, Emma thought about how childish her behavior had been. But frankly, she was scared. Not physically, but it was just as intense. And that fear stayed within her ever since that moment.

Now her life seemed to be heading back to normal, a new kind of normal. A normal where she didn't have to fight for her son every day; a normal where she had two people who loved her. Even though it was still hard for her to think of Mary Margaret and David as her _parents_, she realized she didn't have to do it. She cared for them and right now, that was enough for all of them.

Regina had disappeared. They had gone to her house to get Henry's things, but hadn't found her there. It was both relaxing and worrying. Acting on Snow's suggestion, they decided not to worry much about it. They had plenty of things to do and it wasn't a bad thing having one less problem. However that bad feeling stayed in the back of Emma's mind, bothering her constantly. _She couldn't have just disappeared..._

Emma's walkie-talkie chattered. "Emma. Emma, this is Henry. Where are you? Over."

She grabbed the small device and smiled. "Hey kid. Relax, I'm at the Sheriff's station. I have couple of things to take care of, be back in a few minutes. Over." Truthfully there was nothing to be done at the office, she just needed a little time alone, but Emma thought it was best not to share that info with her son.

A longer pause followed, then Henry's excited voice returned. "Hey, Gramps just offered that we could meet at Granny's for breakfast! I know you probably already had it, but I'm starving. Over."

Emma smiled again. "Fine by me, kid. How about we meet in front of Granny's in... 15 minutes?"

For seconds she didn't get an answer, then a female voice answered. "He ran upstairs to get dressed." Snow said, slightly laughing at Henry's excitement. "We'll get going in a few minutes. _Over_." It was strange to hear Snow use the code.

"Okay. See you guys there. Over and out."

She grabbed her things and walked towards the door. Maybe this could be it. Her happy ending. Sure, there were a lot of things to figure out but she felt confident. Maybe she did deserve something like this. Or at least, she wanted to believe in it more than anything.

Emma drove in Storybrooke with care. For the past week everyone had been acting strangely, but it was understandable. Two days ago she met with a young man at Granny's, who claimed to have been a mouse in Cinderella's palace. Emma thought about it for a second and imagined how strange it must have felt for an ex-mouse to be a human. People seemed to forget about their Storybrooke lives and ran wild until David and Mary Margaret took matters in their hands.

It was strange seeing them so in sync and commanding everyone as if it was their job to do so. _But it is. They were King and Queen for crying out loud. Whose job would that be if not theirs?_

Emma still could barely believe that they truly had ruled an entire kingdom. Though when she was in the same room with her roommate, she caught herself staring at her, trying to figure out what had changed in Mary Margaret since the curse broke. It was little things like how straight she sat or how she held her chin higher than Mary Margaret ever would. She was silent most of the time, but when she spoke everyone listened. Her words were always smart, she didn't hurt anyone with them but when she wanted, she could tell someone off without causing offense. Emma was actually impressed - or rather intimidated. She didn't speak her mind often either, but her words seemed to have less weight than her mother's. And even if Emma still was the Sheriff of the town, she found herself in third place in command. She hadn't decided whether it was a good or a bad thing; for now she was glad she didn't have to do anything on her own.

Emma stopped the car in front of Granny's and walked in knowing that her family waited for her inside.

* * *

While the yellow bug stopped at the heat of the town, another bug - a black one - passed the town line, with an impatient passenger inside it.

_Okay, don't be nervous. It'll be fine. She'll be cool. Relax._

_The hell she won't be! She'll punch me right in the face! I should turn around right now and forget about it._

But he knew he could never do that. He had waited for this too long. His nervous excitement seemed nothing compared to the overwhelming longing to see her face again.

He glanced at the car radio, to which a postcard was stuck. _Greetings from Storybrooke, Maine_! So he hadn't lied after all. _A promise is a promise..._

And as he looked up, he saw the wooden sign, _Welcome to Storybrooke_.

_Okay. Here we go!_

* * *

**_Oh guys, I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! I could say that I was simply busy with schoolwork, but it's more than that. I had difficulties with the story's plot recently. I've left so many questions unanswered, and for the most part I just went "Okay, let's just leave it like this and I'll figure out what to do with it later". Well, now is 'later'. I have a lot of story lines that I want to explore and I need time to figure out how to do it. _**

**_But I'll stop boring you now with this.. however I have good news too! I've finished the next chapter as well, and it'll be uploaded as soon as my awesome beta, oldmcpiper finishes correcting it (duh, I still have tons of mistakes .) _**

**_Anyway, thank you SO much for reading my story, I'm so very happy that you guys like it! _**

**_If you have time, I'd love to hear your thoughts about the chapter :)_**


	33. Found and Missing

Gwen knocked impatiently on the door with number 3 on it. It probably wouldn't have been such a weird thing to do, had she not done it at 3 AM in the morning.

It was the day after Emma had broken the curse, had punched David in the stomach and had stormed out of the apartment.

* * *

She walked really fast on the street, it could've been considered as running at the speed she moved. She kept her gaze on the sidewalk, not thinking about anything, yet a lot of things waited in her head to be absorbed. It was like a huge wave was about to pass over her head, but she somehow managed to balance on the edge of the cliff and not fall down just yet.

Emma didn't know what she wanted to do or how she wanted to feel. She needed to catch a break. Her head was hurting and she couldn't fit the puzzle pieces together. Still running, she closed her eyes and tried to make the pain go away when she felt a strong body crashing into her own, making them both hit the ground.

"Oi! Watch it!" A strangely familiar voice complained. "That hurt!"

Emma opened her eyes and saw a blonde man in a dirty white suit next to her on the ground. When the man noticed who he was talking to his face brightened. "Emma! Holy...! It's you!" He jumped up to a standing position and grabbed Emma by her hand, and before she could protest he hitched her up next to him.

"Whoa, cowboy, back off!" She ripped her hand out of his and eyed him with suspicion. "Do I know you?" She asked finally.

"Excuse me?" He asked, half smiling - half confused. "I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that trick with the potion. I... actually thought you'd be furious if we were ever to see each other again... So... does that mean that I'm forgiven?" He asked with a half-smile on his face.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Emma backed up another step and with her index finger she pointed at him. "Who the hell are you?"

"Oh, we're back at _the hell_ attitude, huh?" He joked, but after a second his face dropped. "You really don't remember, do you? Oh boy! This is a problem..."

"Remember what? And you still haven't answered my question - who-are-you?!" She emphasized her confusion with a poke after each word.

"Oi! I see you still enjoy hurting me, princess. Stop it!" He added when Emma gave him an extra pinch. "I guess it's for the best if I tell you how you used to know me, right? Maybe that'd trigger something or I don't know..." He mumbled. "My name is Lucas!" He announced with a loud voice and bowed theatrically. "We met briefly when you visited my home, Wonderland not long ago. I sort of... helped you and it sort of... got you upset and you teleported me back here. But I guess we can start fresh now!" He winked with a seemingly honest smile.

Emma didn't understand a word he said. She sighed, tired of all this madness and lack of information, then her gaze turned back to the man. _Why not?_ She needed information and he obviously had some. "Okay, you know what? I don't know why, but I want to say _Rabbit guy_ every time I look at you. I honestly don't know why, because I've never met you and don't know you. But. I need answers and I need someone to explain to me what exactly happened while I was asleep, so here's my offer. I'll buy you a coffee at Granny's and you'll tell me everything you know. Deal?" She spluttered, but Lucas seemingly could follow her.

"Fine by me! But I'm starving, so make that a lunch and we can talk..."

* * *

Emma woke up to heavy knocks on the front door. She was sleeping on the couch, after a long argument with Mary Margaret, David and Henry who all wanted to switch places with her. In the end she finally convinced them that she needed to get out of her room, and no, she wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping in her roommate's bed. She needed to get out of her ordinary place so she could adjust to the new order. An order where her parents - _parents!_ - were sleeping on the other side of the white curtain and her son lived with them too. With David and Henry moving in, Emma felt a little claustrophobic. The couch seemed like a little island in the middle of an ocean she had barely gotten to know and still had difficulties to exploring.

When the knocks assailed her ears, she could not believe they wouldn't let them be for more than a few hours. They had been visited by the seven dwarfs that evening, the Blue Fairy and a bunch of other people who wanted to meet their King and Queen again and thank Emma - _the savior, right_ - for saving them all. Whatever that meant. Emma still couldn't get used to the idea of her flatmate and an ex-coma patient being married _and_ her parents _and_ fairy tale characters _and_ rulers of a far-off land. But she decided that whenever she felt that the fairy tale stuff was too much, she would just turn to Henry and talk about ordinary things. He seemed to understand her need for sanity and was more than happy to help her.

Emma yawned and got off the couch before the noises could wake the couple in the next room up. She stumbled to the door and with sleepy eyes she opened it.

"Finally!" Gwen stormed in, clearly frustrated. She had changed her clothes since they last met - she must've borrowed something from Ruby's closet; it was anything but low-keyed. The red leather skinny jeans and the fur vest were definitely not her style. "I've been looking for you all day! Where have you been?!"

All Emma did in response was slowly close the door. She stared at the strangely looking woman and without saying anything she headed back to the couch. She felt dead on her feet and she needed to at least sit down before being able to talk. She yawned again. "Emma Swan, emergency hotline service. I'm working 24/7, feel free to storm into my home anytime and bring me to book for having things to do! What can I do for you?" She asked with her eyes closed and with a wide smile on her face. She was capable of the purest form of sass when she was _that_ tired.

Gwen seemed to let the words pass her ears and walked up and down in the room while speaking. "I need to find him! I told you! I mean, I know you didn't remember, Snow told me... But now you do!" She suddenly stopped in front of her and her eyes were glittering with excitement and worry at the same time. "So now you can help me find him! I _really_ need to find him. Please?"

Emma let out a quiet snort and mumbled. "Oh boy, is this_ finding-thing_ a running trend for the fairy tale couples?" She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Gwen. "And it couldn't have waited for another few hours? I know it's hard to tell, but I'm _really_ tired and it's the middle of the night. Come back tomorrow, please... Or, today. Just in the morning, if possible."

"But you don't understand!" Gwen sighed desperately, and dropped herself on the other side of the couch, just when Emma was about to stand up. _You have _got_ to be kidding me..._

Seeing that the princess was not planning on leaving until she heard her out, Emma tried her best to stay as awake as she could and said, "Alright then. Urgent is urgent. I'm all ears."

"He doesn't remember who he is!" Gwen seemed upset to talk about it, but she didn't look at the blonde and Emma thought she was talking more to herself then to her. "We battled a terrible witch back in the days... Mordred almost killed him, but somehow he escaped and Mordred was killed instead. However, the witch cursed him, she cursed both of us, so we can never be together again. She sent me to a place where I met three talking pigs and helped them defeat an evil wolf... HEY!" She shook Emma when her eyes seemed dangerously close to closing. "I'm talking here! So when the curse struck I was already back in the Enchanted Forest - the pigs helped me, bless them -, but I couldn't find him there, nor could I find Snow or Charming. The land was destroyed and I was stuck there for 28 years!" She sighed again. "Then, out of nowhere I heard Merlin's voice and a pair of flying shoes appeared in front of me. He said they would guide me to the place I wanted to go. I don't know how he could talk to me, or give me the shoes... but I trusted him. And now I need you to help me find him!" Gwen stood up quickly and started walking again. "I know he's here! Otherwise Merlin never would've sent me here."

Emma raised her index finger in front of her, "Time out, princess."

She couldn't understand most of the things the brunette said, but the need to help her made the sleepiness go away slowly. "So... this prince of yours. I need more information than just _I need to find him_, to actually find him..."

"So you're gonna help me?" Gwen's voice became excited at once and she sat back down next to Emma.

"I will try," the blonde started. "So tell me, what does he look like? Height, body type, hair color. And maybe his name wouldn't be so bad either."

"Right, sorry. You know, he's kind of a handsome fellow. He's 6'3"; skinny, though he's really strong; sand-blond hair..."

"Okay, I can work with that." Emma wrote the details down on a piece of paper.

She looked up and asked, "And his name?"

Gwen gave her a pale smile. "His name is Arthur. Arthur Pendragon."

* * *

_**Quick update, huh? Oh yeah, I finished it right after the last chapter and oldmcpiper, my awesome beta was done with it in record time as well!**_

_**There's a lot of jump in time, hope it's not very confusing. I'm also tying up the loose ends, starting with Lucas, Gwen and later Morgana. Then we'll see how things go with Neal. There will be more Snow/Emma chapters in the future, I promise! I miss writing them, but the story requires other things now.**_

_**I also miss your reviews, you guys alway shape my ideas and how I want to go on with the story.:\**_

_**New episode tonight! MANHATTAN!**_


	34. Magic

"Okay pal, let's start at the beginning!" Emma sighed when they had carried the massive amount of food Lucas planned to eat to one of the larger tables. The man attacked the spaghetti right away and with a full mouth he let out a sound of relief.

"Oh boy, you have no idea how delicious this is... Rabbit food is healthy and all, but it tastes like sand..." He barely finished the sentence before biting a big part off the baguette.

Emma sighed again. "I'm happy you like it." This man looked like a clown and frankly he annoyed her to death. However she tried to put an honest and friendly look on her face and asked again. "Could you tell me what you know now, please?"

"Sure, sure..." He munched. "Let me just... swallow this... Okay, here we go! Once upon a time... a little rabbit lived in a big tree house with his books. Then, one day he stumbled into a young girl, who made his life turn upside down..."

Lucas talked for several minutes, but Emma never interrupted. It was like listening to a fairy tale. Ogres, magic... Even Lucas' theatrical delivery of the story seemed appropriate. When he was finished, Emma dragged herself out of the magical world and considered it as reality. _Yeah, right._

"You know that what you're saying is crazy, right?" She asked. "It doesn't make sense."

Lucas sipped his coffee and stretched on his chair. "Of course it's crazy, everything that involves magic is crazy. But it doesn't make it any less true. And it might be madness, but it _does_ make sense. I mean, think about it... Look around! Isn't something wrong here?"

Emma took a better look at Granny's. When they walked in she was deep in her thoughts and didn't notice the lack of customers. Now only Ruby's worried look wandered in their direction every now and then, but when she noticed Emma was looking at her, she waved friendlily and went back to the kitchen. Other than that the place was completely deserted. There _was_ something wrong about all this.

"Isn't it strange that no one's here? Or that we didn't meet anyone on the outside either?" Lucas asked quietly. "Isn't there something..." He shrugged. "...out-of-order?"

Just when Emma was about to say how this wasn't strange at all, the front door's bell rang as someone stepped into the small dinner. It was Henry.

"Hey kid!" Emma smiled. It felt good seeing him, but when she remembered how she stormed out of the apartment not long ago, she felt ashamed. "I'm sorry about... you know."

Henry dropped his backpack next to their table and pulled an extra chair to it. "It's okay." He gave Emma an understanding look. "Gramps is fine, so no harm done. And he's not angry, at all." Henry added quickly when he saw the unspoken question in Emma's eyes.

She sighed with relief, but then she added, "He's not your grandfather, Henry..."

Henry let it pass his ears and turned to the other person at the table. "Hi! My name is Henry, I'm her son. And you are...?"

Lucas laughed, "I am... _lost_, to be honest. And I should've known you two are related, you are a lot like your mother." He winked, but then his smile turned into a curious look. "Though there is something that's different, isn't there?" He leaned closer to the boy. "You believe in magic, right?"

Henry's face brightened and he nodded. Lucas sat back up and sighed. "That makes two of us, buddy. Your mom is a tougher question."

"I know," Henry responded. "I tried to make her believe, but she doesn't listen to me."

"Hey!" Emma interrupted. "Sitting right here, hello?!"

"You know who I am?" Lucas asked, and Henry nodded for the second time.

"I have a book, you know. You are in it." He added, shrugging his shoulders.

"You're a smart kid." Lucas patted his shoulder.

"Guys, I'm a little lost here..?" Emma tried.

Lucas continued without looking at her. "But somehow we have to make your mom believe, or at least remember. But I guess it's the same thing in her case... I need her help to get home. This," he gestured around, "this isn't where I belong. It's not where I'm supposed to be."

Henry nodded, but when he spoke he addressed his words to his mother. "I brought you something." He pulled his backpack closer to his chair and searched for a few seconds. Then, he handed a seemingly old piece of paper to his mother with a wide grin on his face. "Maybe this will prove me right. I thought it was destroyed, but I guess the Queen is more sentimental than I thought."

However, before Emma could open the paper to take a better look at it, the whole diner trembled. It was like the earth moved. "What the-" Emma stood up, and went to the front door, followed by the boys' puzzled looks. As soon as she opened the front door, purple smoke filled the small room, making it impossible to use any of her senses. "Henry?" She tried to turn around, but she didn't even know where she was standing anymore. "Henry!"

The worry took over Emma and she pushed herself to the direction she thought she had left the boys, but she felt a sharp pain in her stomach - as if something had hit her. The blonde grabbed at her belly and almost fell on the ground, but the smoke cleared away just as quickly as it had come. She could see that she had run into a table, now she grabbed hold of it and tried to regain her balance. "Henry...?" She searched for the boy, but her vision was still blurry after the smoke.

"Emma, are you okay?" She felt a small hand on her back and as she opened her eyes for the second time, she could finally see her son.

"Yeah, I think so... What the hell was _that_?"

"Magic." Lucas walked to them as well. Emma dropped herself on the chair and threw him an annoyed look. "Hey, could you explain to me what it was, if it wasn't magic?"

Emma let out a tired sigh. This magic thing was starting to get on her nerves. She waved a few times, the purple smoke was still around them, but it was much thinner and almost invisible now. She looked down and saw the paper Henry had given her laying on the ground. She bowed and grabbed it.

As Emma opened the paper the smoke reacted strangely. It gathered around it, as if there was a vacuum inside the letter, sucking the magic inside, consuming it. "What the-" Emma started as the paper grew hotter and she looked up, confused at Henry, then her gaze turned to Lucas.

Henry visibly was just as puzzled as his mother, but Lucas' expression foretold nothing good.

"Emma, I think you should put that thing down..." He mumbled, his gaze fixed on the now glowing object in Emma's hands. His eyes filled with fear.

Only a moment passed before Emma knew everything she did would be in vain. Her gaze turned to Henry, quickly, taking one last look at him, then feeling the piece of paper pulling her in, the vacuum sucking her inside the void.

It was horrible. The air pressed out of her lungs, her veins were burning, as if her blood was pure fire. It was like her head was filling with the dark material that surrounded her, making it ache like it was about to explode. She was flying with the speed of light in an airless, black space. It took her almost a minute to lose consciousness, but she felt relieved when she finally passed out.

* * *

_Green_. The smell of green - grass, plants, the woods. Pure, untouched and natural. It felt nice.

_White_. The air that ran through her lungs. The sky after a storm. Vivid, strong and fresh. Full of life.

_Brown_. The solid ground underneath her. The trees, surrounding her like guards. The Earth. Endless, timeless and still.

_Blue_. The sound of a waterfall. A bird, trilling a simple note over and over again. Light, new and relaxing. Something familiar.

Emma Swan lay on the grass, seeing all these colors without having to open her eyes. It was the place she would've imagined as heaven. Perfect, almost unreal, _too good to be true._

But if she was in heaven, why did her belly hurt like hell?

She opened her eyes with a gasp. Still hyperventilating, she got up as quickly as she could and looked around. She was indeed in a forest, but this place looked nothing like the woods in Storybrooke. _But how the hell did I get here? And... where am I for crying out loud?!_

However, before she had the chance to think things through, noises assailed her ears. They were unnatural for this place, quick and sharp sounds. Like noises that a hunted animal would make.

Emma quickly hid behind a tree, but the noises died not far from where she was standing. She heard heavy breaths, gasps and a nervous or rather defeated groan, before the person sat down on the grass. Because it was _someone_, Emma was sure. But if it was, then what the hell did they run from and why?

She tried to be as silent as she could and made her way around the big oak tree to take a look at the hunted person sitting at the shore of a small lake.

Emma could almost see her - she was wearing a white dress, - when another person moved fast and appeared next to her.

"I hunt you, yet you stop to compose a letter?" A strangely familiar male voice asked. "I will never understand your kind."

Emma moved closer to the edge. If only she could get around the tree without them seeing her... "I don't know these woods. You're obviously a skilled hunter, you'll find me." The blood froze in Emma's veins - it was Mary Margaret's voice. "No matter what I do, I know how this ends."

"Yes." Emma saw the man in black leather clothes move towards her friend.

"There is one thing," Mary Margaret continued, "that I ask that you do after you kill me." _Kill her? What the hell is going on?!_ "Please deliver this to the Queen."

"Your tricks won't work on me.." He answered. _Why is his voice so familiar?_

"It's not a trick, please! Give it to her!" Mary Margaret pleaded. "Tell her I mean every word."

Emma heard as he opened the letter, but strangely she realized she was holding a letter herself. She looked at it curiously._ Could this be the same...?_

She opened it and started to read.

_Dearest Stepmother,_

_By the time you read this, I will be dead. I understand that you will never have love in your life because of me, so it's only fitting that I'll be denied that same joy as well. For the sake of the kingdom, I hope my death satisfies your need for revenge allowing you to rule my father's subjects as they deserve; with compassion and a gentle hand. I know what you think you're doing is vengeance, I prefer to think of it as sacrifice for the good of all. With that in mind I welcome the end. I want you to take my last message to heart. I'm sorry and I forgive you._

Emma's eyes widened as she turned back to the scene before her. _You have _got_ to be kidding me..._

"Sound this when you need help. It's a whistle. It'll bring you aid, you'll be led to safety. Now go, run!" _Why is his voice so damn familiar?! Think, Emma!_

"I don't understand that you're not going to kill me..."

"_Run_!" And like lightning it struck Emma. The voice. The man. The huntsman. It was... _No... it can't be... Graham...?!_

Emma's heart fell and warm happiness mixed with her confusion. It was him, there was no doubt about it. _But he was dead... How is this possible?_

But before Emma could bring herself out of the numbing shock, that left her breathless, she heard Mary Margaret start running.

Straight towards her.

* * *

**_Aaaaand, I'm back! Sort of. I managed to start a lot of things in the previous chapters, and I swear I'll get to the end of each story line and I'll answer every question. But this idea just popped into my head and I had to write it down. _**

**_oldmcpiper, thanks so much for finding time for my silly story! I know that you have tons of things to do. You really are the best:)_**

**_I don't know when I'll be updating this story, giving that graduation is getting closer and closer and I'm getting more and more stressed with schoolwork, but I'll try my best and upload the next chapter as soon as I have time to write it ;)_**

**_Your reviews always made my day ;)_**


	35. Trapped

Emma felt her heartbeat in her throat, the adrenaline flowed through her veins quickly and she lunched herself to the other direction where she heard Mary Margaret run from. It started to get dark, making it hard to see the ground underneath her feet. She tripped a few times, almost fell, but managed to keep her balance and ran. Ran, as fast as she could.

_Why_? She didn't really know. It was a hunch in the back of her mind - a feeling that she needed to get away from all that was happening there.

But no matter how fast she ran, she could still hear her friend's quick footsteps behind her.

Emma was positive that the brunette had noticed her - it would've been impossible not to, she made quite a lot of noise. She was in good shape, but the woods wasn't exactly her world, so she pretty much stepped on everything that made a sound - branches, stones, leaves. She had no idea how long they've been running, but she felt exhausted.

She kept running, until she got out of the forest - or at least she thought she did. For one second. Then she realized she was running straight into a huge pit that jawed right where she thought was the edge of the woods. Emma couldn't stop herself in time, she tripped and fell down into the twenty feet deep hole.

Fortunately she didn't break anything, but twisted her ankle. Emma looked up, hearing a high pitched scream from above and saw how Mary Margaret tripped just like she'd had. The brunette landed next to her - the pit was only large enough for the two of them, but Emma pulled away quickly. She didn't understand what was happening, her lungs filled and emptied with air way faster than they should've and she rubbed her eyes. She must've seen it wrong.

The girl that lay next to her was indeed Mary Margaret - only younger, much younger. She was sixteen or seventeen, at most eighteen years old. She had long, black locks, her eyes burned brighter than Emma had ever seen before. She was beautiful. _The fairest of them all._

And then it hit her. The memories, the adventures she'd had with Lucas, Snow... it all came back to her. Her head filled with images of a dark forest, a castle, Merlin, her gun, a compass... a black haired woman, the fake smile of hers and a sharp pain as she had hit the ground... the feeling of dragging her mother to the protal and jumping through it with everything she'd got...

_Her mother..._

"Oh for crying out loud..." The girl touched her right ankle and hissed with pain. "Great. That's just my luck." She looked straight at Emma, but it was like she couldn't see her. Emma was too numb to move or say anything; her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open she sat and held her right ankle. They both twisted the same body part. It couldn't be a coincidence.

_So this is Snow White. The Snow White from the tale... with the huntsman and all._

Emma waved a few times in front of her, just to see if her companion notices her, but it became obvious that she was unaware of the blonde's presence.

"Oh. My. God." Emma breathed desperately.

The girl suddenly looked up, as if she'd heard Emma's exhausted words. "Who was that?" She asked, her voice quiet, but strong.

Emma thought about it for a second. She could stay in silence, but apparently Snow couldn't see her and getting out of this situation - literally - seemed only possible if they worked together. And it's not like she hasn't changed the past before. "Can you hear me?" She spoke up.

Snow's calm exterior changed when she heard the woman. "Where are you?!" She asked, looking around in horror, but she couldn't move, her ankle still hurt like hell.

"Hey, relax, I'm not here to hurt you." Emma tried to speak calmly, yet she was just as terrified. "I'm... a friend."

Snow looked in Emma's direction, but her eyes couldn't find the blonde's. "Where are you?_ Answer me_! The Queen sent you, didn't she? She cloaked you with her magic, so I won't see you and you can kill me..." Her voice became weaker and tears appeared in her eyes, but she shook her head and pointed her finger at Emma's invisible head. "I am _not_ afraid of you! If you want to kill me, then just_ do it_! I won't beg for your mercy if that is what you want to hear!"

For seconds Emma couldn't bring herself to say anything. Not because she enjoyed watching the frightened girl, but because she was amazed. The bravery this young girl, who thought was about to die the _second time_ today, took her off guard. _And this is my mother_, she reminded herself.

Before she could make a sound they both heard noises from above.

Snow's cutting glance snapped back for a moment, it was probably accidental, but her eyes gazed directly into Emma's. Emma noticed how different the brunette looked from Mary Margaret. It was like now, that she could see the real, innocent, but graceful self of her young parent, Emma could understand how much the cruse had taken away from her. Like her personality glowed less than before - like right now, even if she was still a child, she was somehow _more_.

"Down here!" A british accent shouted from the forest. "I think we caught someone!"

Snow tried to climb into a standing position, but her hand slipped and she fell back down. Blood started dripping from her palm, but Emma didn't look at her. She got distracted by the sharp pain in her own hand - a cut, deep and fresh appeared on her skin, right where Snow had cut herself. Emma's wide eyes turned back slowly to the girl, but to her surprise she saw that Snow was already holding a rope, ready to be rescued from the pit. The blonde felt something she hadn't felt a long time now - the threat of loneliness. The possibility that she would stay there, alone, without a plan to get out. To get home. _Back to my family._

Snow was halfway up, but the rope still swept the ground when Emma decided to take a chance. She grabbed the rope.

"Hey, little girl, I didn't expect ye be so heavy, dammit," a croaker voice came from beyond the edge. "Nevermin', we're gettin' there!"

Emma kicked the wall of the pit and used it as a springboard. She landed next to the girl and heard a different male voice call for the one who pulled them out. "John! What's taking so long? Didn't ye said it was only a girl down there?"

Emma didn't hear footsteps, but when she looked up, she saw two figures standing two feet away from her, their faces hidden in the dark. "That's right, ser. But she's heavier than she looks. A fighter's spirit, I'm telling ye, she has it! That is why she's so hard to pull!"

"Told you not to call me ser, John." He came closer to Snow, who laid motionless, looking at the two men without making a sound. "Now, now... who have we here?" He man sat on his heels, not to far, but not threateningly too close to the girl. "What's your name, child?"

Snow eyed them for a moment, then decided to sit up. Her hand was still bloody, and it caught the strange man's attention. "My, my. I see my friend here is right. You have a fighter's spirit, eh? Tried to climb out of the pit on your own, I see... Well," he pulled out a piece of clothing from his pocket and was about to bind the wound, but the girl backed away. "Not trusting me, is that it girl? Good. You should choose your allies carefully. Trust a few, but trust them fully! Like Little John right here! You see him? He's monstrous, scary, looks grim, right?" He moved a bit closer and offered Snow to take the bandage. "I'm telling you, he sleeps like a baby and if he sees a kitty he can cry for no reason." Snow slowly took the bandage and wrapped it around her injured hand. "All I'm trying to say is... not everyone is what they seem at first. Like you, for example." He took a better look at her dirty white cape and the flowers in her hair before continuing. "I'd say you're of royal blood. Or at least noble. You ran because... your horse tossed you off its back and you didn't know where you were? Am I getting close?" He asked, smiling.

"No, you're not." Snow answered. Her voice seem pretty confident, it surprised Emma. "I'm of no royal or noble blood. I stole these clothes from a castle that's nearby and I've been wearing flowers in my hair as long as I can remember." Even though Emma knew she was lying, the girl was very convincing. In fact, the others seemed to buy her story.

"What of your parents, then?" Little John asked.

Snow held her chin almost unnoticeably higher. "My mother died when I was very young and my father passed away recently. I had to run from my home because of my stepmother." She paused for a second. "She expelled me and that is why I wander alone in the forest."

"Eh, then, you are about to live quite a long time in the forest, my dear, isn't that the case? Do you know how to survive in it?" The tall man asked as he stood up.

"No." Snow said carefully, her eyes jumping from man to man. "Not really."

"Then I suppose, today is your lucky day! My name is Robin Hood and I will teach you the basics for your survival."

"But ser, we have to..." Little John argued, but Robin cut his sentence off.

"We will stay. For a few days. And then we'll resume our journey." He turned back to the girl. "I just escaped the torture chamber of Rumplestiltskin and my friend here thinks I could die any second if I don't run."

"Rumplestilts-who?" Snow wrinkled her forehead.

"Never heard of him?"

"No."

"Well, maybe that's for the better." He reached for Snow's woundless hand. "And how shall I call _you_, my lady? Because you speak like a lady, you can't deny it."

Snow took his hand and stood up. "That's because of my father. He taught me well..." She looked at Little John, then quickly back at Robin. Clearly, she was afraid of the big man. "As of my name... call me _Frosty_." She sputtered.

"Curious name... isn't it, ser?" Little John's gaze tried to catch Snow's eyes, but she avoided it on purpose.

"I was born during a dreadful winter." The girl tried to reclaim her calm voice. "My mother thought the name was fitting."

Robin searched her face for a few seconds, then he seemed to realize something. "Fitting, indeed. Well then, my lady Frosty. After you." And he freed the path to a rather big campfire.

Snow nodded and went directly to it, still not daring to look at the giant-like other.

Emma Swan stayed where she was, standing at the edge of the pit. Since non of the newcomers seemed to realize her presence, she knew only one thing for sure. This trip was about to last far longer than she expected.

_Oh girl, how can you be such a danger magnet?! Note to self: Next time someone hands you a glowing thing, or something that has the tiniest bit to do with magic - throw it as far away as you can!_

* * *

**Oh my god. It's been a very long time since I updated last time, hasn't it? I'm so sorry guys. But half of my exams are over, and for now I'm allowed to catch my breath. I'm planning to write one or two more chapters until the next part of my exams and I'll finish the story after they're over. **

**Robin and Little John, haven't seen that coming, have you? Anyway, tell me what you think:)**


	36. Desperate Measures

"Where is she?" Henry desperately turned to the blond man, but he looked just as surprised as he was. "Where did Emma go?"

"I don't know, kid." The man dropped back to his chair and with a blank expression he stared at the table. "She's gone. And I'm stuck here. Probably forever."

"What do you mean, she's gone? What happened to her?!" He grabbed the man's arm and shook it. "Are you listening to me?"

"I'm sorry, kid." The blond stood up and stumbled to the door. "But I need to go home. Somehow..." And he almost fell out the door, leaving Henry in the empty diner.

He heard a static noise coming from his backpack. "Henry! Henry, answer me! Are you okay? Henry!" He could hear his grandmother's desperate voice, so he searched for the device quickly.

"Grandma! It's me, Henry. What happened?!" He let go of the button and impatiently waited for the answer.

"It was Gold, he brought magic to this world, we just finished talking to him." His grandfather took over. "Henry, are you okay? Is Emma with you? Where are you?"

Henry looked around hopelessly before pushing the button again. "I don't know... I'm at Granny's, I'm fine, but Emma... Gramps, Emma's gone!"

"What?!" Snow almost shouted into the other walkie-talkie.

Charming tried to stay calm. "Stay where you are Henry, we're coming to get you!"

* * *

Snow stormed into the small diner. She quickly found what she was looking for - Henry was sitting at the counter with a big mug of hot chocolate with cinnamon. Ruby stood next to him, rubbing his back.

"Henry!" Snow hugged her grandson tightly, but let go of him quickly. "Where is Emma?"

The boy seemed run-down enough, but his voice was clear when he spoke. "I don't know. She's gone."

Charming stepped next to his wife. "Tell us what happened!"

Henry took a sip of the cocoa, gathered his thoughts, and only then started talking. "I came here, because I've been looking for Emma. I wanted to let her know that everything was okay and she could come back home to talk to you guys. But when I got here, she was talking to a stranger, or at first I thought he was. I found your letter to Regina, the one you'd given the huntsman, before he saved your life, remember?" He turned to the woman.

Snow nodded and warmth filled her heart. The huntsman, who saved her... _Graham_. But he was dead. Before her eyes could fill with tears, she reminded herself that her daughter was missing. She needed to concentrate. "And what did you do with the letter?"

"I gave it to my mom," Henry continued. "I thought that it would maybe bring her memories back. I thought that if I showed her proof, then... " he swallowed his tears.

"Then she would believe." Charming finished his sentence.

"Yes. But it didn't work. When I gave the paper to her, this magical purple smoke appeared and the letter sucked it into itself. Emma held it and then... she was gone." His blank look wandered to the place he had last seen his mother.

"And what happened to the man?" Charming tried to keep the conversation running and learn as many details as he could. "Who was he, anyway? Did you recognize him from your book?"

Henry nodded. "He ran away, he said he needed to get home, but I doubt he could do that." To his grandparents' questioning expressions, he answered quietly. "He lived in Camelot. He's Arthur Pendragon."

* * *

Emma finally figured it out. It took her a few days, but she finally understood what was happening to her. Or, at least she suspected something, but given the present circumstances, it was better than nothing.

She was in a dream, or a vision, but it was certain that this time she didn't travel in time. This time, she was trapped in her young mother's memory. Which was way better. Yeah.

Not knowing how she could get home was one thing, but she learned a more alarming detail of her trip. Apparently, whatever happened to Snow, happened to Emma, too. She was like a mirror image of the young girl - if she got hurt, if she felt cold or hungry, Emma felt the same emotion.

A few days had passed, and the blond felt less and less like herself. She didn't speak, because nobody could hear her; she tried to catch her reflection on the top of the river water, but it was like she wasn't there, like she was a ghost. Time passed slowly and she caught herself watching Snow and Robin more closely. The man taught her many things, how to catch fish in the river, set up traps in the woods and find a good place for making a shelter. At the beginning Snow had been afraid of Little John, but she had never shown it. She had kept her distance, but when the man asked her something, she politely answered. And then, after four days of basically living together, the ice broke. They started laughing about something, and when Emma broke from her trance, - gazing at the fire, thinking about her family back home - she couldn't believe her eyes. The giant-like man grabbed the girl and tickled her with a wide grin on his face. Snow laughed, like Emma had never heard her mother laugh before. They became friends and the men kept on teaching Snow how to survive in the forest.

After a week and two days however, Robin wanted to talk to the girl seriously.

"We have to go, Frosty." On his face appeared a sad smile, one of a bittersweet goodbye. "The love of my life is sick and only I can cure her. I stayed as long as I could, but now Little John and I have to continue our journey."

Snow nodded sadly, she knew this day would come one day, but she'd grown to love these men. "Well, I suppose... now I'll be able to handle myself in the forest on my own."

"You'll do just fine, my lady. Do not worry. And whenever you are near the Sherwood Forest, you are welcome in my home anytime." He smiled at her and reached for the girl's hand. Robin placed a gentle kiss on her hand and bowed before her. Snow then hugged the man tightly and whispered a_ thank you_ in his ear.

"You are more than welcome, Snow." Robin laughed and broke the hug. "I think it's time I told you - I figured out your secret."

Snow stood frozen where she was, unable to speak. This one word made her feel betrayed, it was written all over her face. Emma thought about how many times she might have felt this way before. From what she could tell, this wasn't the first time.

"You knew me..." She breathed. "You knew who I was... and you still helped me..?" Gratitude was mixed in her questioning tone, but Robin just smiled.

"Of course I knew, my lady. From the moment you introduced yourself to us. When you told me that you were born during a dreadful winter and how your mother named you. I'm familiar with your history. And I don't mean to offend you, but... _Frosty_? Really?"

Emma sat next to them and listened to the conversation. They talked about Snow's stepmother, what she did and how the girl ended up in the forest. After a longer pause, she hugged the man again, then went to Little John and embraced him too. With tears in her eyes, she waved goodbye to the men and wished them the best luck with finding and curing Robin's love.

Emma stepped next to Snow and looked down at her. Was she every going to get home? Would she ever see her son again? And her parents? It all seemed bleak and empty, and mostly hopeless. She didn't even know how she'd gotten there, how could she find a way back?

Then, as if it was something Emma wanted to do a long time ago, she put one hand on Snow's shoulder, and to her surprise the girl looked up, surprise glittering in her eyes.

"What is this..?" She whispered, but Emma barely heard her. Finally, after days of total solitude, she made contact with another person. And not with just anybody. The touch of her young mother, when she reached to the place where Emma's hand rested, made her remember all the times she had held her hand before. All the love Emma had gotten from her, all the things the woman had taught her about how to be a family, a daughter and a mother to Henry.

Gratitude and love spread inside her as she looked into Snow's puzzled eyes. The girl's soul burned through her eyes, making Emma feel like everything was going to be okay.

"Emma!" She heard someone shouting her name in desperation.

Emma took her hand off the girl and turned around quickly. She knew that voice.

* * *

Snow and Charming went to Rumplestiltskin right after they learned what happened to Emma. To their surprise, Gold agreed to help them - free of charge. But Snow knew better, she knew that all magic comes with a price. When she asked Gold why he was doing it, he said, "Oh, well, Miss Swan did a great service for me with breaking the curse. I only see it fitting that I help rescue her as a way of showing my gratitude. I believe she wouldn't argue." So they accepted the help he offered. He showed them a strange looking globe, where Snow had to prick her finger and let a few blood drops fall onto it.

"Well, well, Miss Swan, hiding from your parents in the woods?" Gold announced, and they went straight to a place where they found Emma's motionless body. The limping man assured them that the blonde was alive, but she was trapped. "In a memory."

Snow knelt next to her daughter and took her hand. She wrinkled her forehead when she felt a paper inside Emma's grip. The woman forced the fingers to open and took the paper. Her heart skipped a few beats when she realized what she was holding. She looked up at Gold. "She's trapped inside my memory?"

The man nodded and took a red scarf-like piece of clothing from the pocket of his coat. "I think it would be best if you lay down next to your daughter, Your Majesty." Snow didn't ask anything, it was her daughter's life they were trying to save. She decided to blindly obey Gold's orders. It was their only chance. "Alright, now," Gold started, binding Snow and Emma's hands together with the scarf. "I need you to concentrate. Think about the memory you're about to enter. What happened there? How did you get there? What were you feeling back then?"

"I felt... lost." She whispered, but Gold shook his head.

"You don't have to tell me. Just think about it. Embrace the feeling. Try to live the moment all over again." And when he finished twiddling with the scarf, he made a strange movement which made the red object start to glow. "Relax, Snow White. You can find your daughter... if you're strong enough." Which made Snow feel anything, but relaxed.

But she knew she could do it. She would have done anything for Emma.

* * *

"Emma, take my hand, hurry!" Snow tried to be as loud as she could, but she'd been shouting at her daughter for minutes. Now, finally she seemed to notice her, but Snow was afraid that it wouldn't last long enough. "Take - my - hand! Come on!"

She felt like she was a ghost, barely existing in the vision. She cried out again, "Emma, we have to go!"

Fortunately, the blonde might have looked scared and puzzled, but she was used to crazy things, so after a few seconds of shock, she ran straight towards the other woman and grabbed her hand.

Snow looked up and shouted as loudly as she could. It was like whispering in a storm, she didn't even know if they could hear her or not. "Now!"

However, she felt a pull coming from above and grabbed her daughter with both hands. She wasn't going to lose her, not again.

Snow looked down at the scared blonde and smiled. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay."

* * *

It took Emma a whole day to wake up fully. Snow knew a spell like the one they had used was tiring, but she was okay, and she was worried about why her daughter was still asleep. Mr Gold assured them that she would be okay in a few short days, but Snow didn't trust him. Not even after what he'd done, how he had helped them.

When she finally opened her eyes, Snow was there and held her hand with a wide smile on her face. "Emma... hey, honey. How are you feeling?"

It took her another few seconds to comprehend the situation around her. That she was no longer in that memory, that she was home.

Emma sat up slowly, carefully and looked around. She really was _home_.

"Henry and Ch-... David just went to Granny's to get coffee and breakfast, but they'll be back soon." Snow's voice directed Emma's gaze back to her roommate. "Henry didn't want to go, but I convinced him that I would look after you and you would be here when they get back. He's really worried about you, you know."

Emma listened to her voice and almost lost it. She thought she'd never hear it again. Because it was Snow White, yes, the same person she was with in that vision. But she was so much more. She was Mary Margaret, her flatmate, her best friend... and her mother.

She couldn't help but let tears escape her eyes and she embraced the slightly surprised brunette in a tight hug. "I was so lost," Emma whispered. She couldn't believe it, but right there, in her mother's arms, she felt like a child again. "I felt so alone..."

She felt how Snow held her even tighter and started rubbing her back. It made her feel unbelievably happy. "Shhh, it's okay now." Snow's soft voice made Emma sob even more, but somehow it felt good. After days of complete numbness, she could finally breathe.

"I'm here..." Snow whispered. "And I'm never leaving you again."

* * *

_**And the Charmings are back together, the whole family, hooray! There are only a few chapters left, soon this adventure will end, but I hope you guys enjoy the ride. I sure as hell enjoy writing it ;)**_

_**Mama Snow fears no shit when her little girl is in danger. She's a mama bear like that.**_

_**oldmcpiper deserves a HUGE thank you for betaing me:)**_


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